Conspiratio
by NiffAreForever
Summary: When Nick met Jeff, he knew that his life would be changed forever, but he could never imagine how much - when the pair offer to help a friend, they become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Emperor. Roman!Niff AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story, so I hope it's okay! It might be a little bit slow starting but, I'm just introducing things. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

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_Saying that Rome was one of the greatest empires that the world had seen, was an understatement; in my opinion, it was the greatest empire ever. And I stay true to that belief even after what it did to us, well, what he did to us. And who's 'he'? _

_Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, that's who, or as we called him, just plain Nero. He's dead now, suicide, but that doesn't mean what he did disappeared, it had a lasting effect on our lives, and none of us will forget it in a hurry._

_It was the year I met Jeff that everything changed. I sometimes wonder how different my life might have been if we'd never met; I wonder whether I'd be here at all if it wasn't for him. _

_I can see him now, smiling at me, and that's when I'm reminded that despite all that we lost, we still have each other._

* * *

The city of Rome was the centre of the Roman Empire, with a population of over a million people; it housed the seat of the government and the Emperor himself. From here the Romans looked out upon their world, stretching as far as they could imagine.

The heart of daily Roman life was in the Forum, where markets selling anything that the inhabitants could ever desire were held, and also where the world came to greet each other. The sheer noise of this place was overwhelming, as vendors announced their wares and citizens called to their friends.

The din of the Forum was added to by the constant clatter of cart wheels over the cobbled streets that criss-crossed the city and the sound of shop shutters swinging in the wind. In fact, if Rome ever fell silent, it would be a dark day for the city and the empire itself.

Across the city, the temples of the gods kept watch over all of the people. From the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill to the Temple of Jupiter, citizens passed by as they did everyday, the occasional worshipper entering to pay their respects or leave an offering.

In the streets themselves, the citizens went about their daily morning business. Men hurried to greet their patrons, while shopkeepers dealt with their first customers. Children and animals played in the streets, narrowly avoiding slaves who had been sent out on early morning errands.

It was average day for most of the population of the city, but for one household it was the day in which their lives would be changed forever; affecting not just them, but the people around them as well.

* * *

Nick was bored.

He'd been woken up early by his mother in her insistence that he thank the household gods as soon as the sun rose just because it was his birthday. He was sure that nobody else had that sort of ritual in place, but if he was honest, his mother had probably done more out of the belief that he was being lazy of he didn't get up, rather than her desire to please the deities.

Ever since he'd been little, Nick had known his mother to be the way that she was now: cold and condescending. She seemed to hold the belief that children were raised better if they had almost no loving contact; the only love Nick had ever really known had been from his nurse when he had been very small. For the past few years, he was being shaped into the man that his parents wanted him to become.

The man his parents wanted him to become.

Nick loathed even the thought of it. His parents had a lot of expectations of him; they wanted him to become a soldier, then a senator, all while settling down, marrying and continuing their family line. All of his life, his decisions had been controlled by his parents, and he wanted to break free, to be his own person for once.

Nick's greatest dream was to become a poet. He'd read all of the works of the greatest Greek and Roman writers, and ever since his teacher had commended him on his literary skill, he'd been composing his own pieces.

But today was a great milestone for him; it was his seventeenth birthday, and the day in which his father was judging him to be old enough to be a man. But was he a man, yet? Nick certainly didn't feel like an adult properly, and a part of him still longed for his childhood, and the feeling of being so young and carefree.

He'd spent the majority of his childhood playing in the streets surrounding his home with Sebastian and Wes, whose fathers were also senators like his own father. The more Nick thought about it, the stranger his friendship with Sebastian seemed. In fact, if they hadn't been forced to be friends in the first place, Nick reckoned that Sebastian wouldn't have even spared him a second glance.

Sebastian's father was one of the most powerful men in Rome, second only to the Emperor himself, and he'd raised Sebastian on the belief that their family should be superior to every other one. If Nick was honest, the first time he'd met Sebastian, he'd had to restrain himself from loudly declaring, as four year olds do, that the other boy was the meanest person he'd ever met. And since Nick's first memory of Sebastian was of the older boy kicking him in the shins and telling him that he was better at everything, Nick imagined that if he hadn't have gotten to know Sebastian properly, then he would still hold the same opinion as his four year old self.

He and Sebastian had a bit of a love-hate friendship. When Nick had excitedly announced to Sebastian on his fourteenth birthday that he had finally grown three inches, Sebastian had replied:

"Congratulations, at this rate you actually might be taller than whoever your parents have you marry."

To which Nick had grinned, thanked Sebastian profoundly, and then remarked that at least he would never be mistaken for a meerkat.

Nick's friendship with Wes, however, was of an entirely different genre. Wes was three years old than Nick, and the pair had met when the older boy had defended Nick from a group of bullies who had been taunting him in the street.

Ever since that occurrence, the two had been close friends, Wes' protective and calm nature providing a balance to Nick's quick temper and more impulsive nature, while both of them counterbalanced Sebastian.

The three of them made a nice little team, in Nick's mind, one that had only been strengthened by the subsequent appearance of David, who had quickly been asserted as Wes' right hand man.

Nick knew he shouldn't be so ungrateful for his life and his family, both his parents were alive and he had a house to live in, with slaves and an abundance of money. There were people in the world with so much less than him, Nick knew that, but he couldn't help feeling as though something was missing completely in his life. If anyone had asked what it was, he wouldn't have been able to tell them, but it just felt like something was wrong and incomplete.

Little did Nick know that the missing something, or somebody, would be making an appearance in his life very soon.

* * *

Jeff didn't know how long he'd been on the boat; it could have been between a few hours and a few days for all he could guess. He'd slept intermittently ever since they'd first boarded, but he had no idea how long he'd been asleep nor whether it was night or day.

He wanted to roll over and sit up, maybe stretch a bit to soothe his aching back and legs, but every time he tried, he was rewarded with the reminder that he was attached by a chain to the man next to him.

Then, he'd remember why he was onboard this voyage in the first place and he'd feel tears brimming. But he couldn't cry, not in front of all these other people, he couldn't appear weak at all, otherwise everything would be worse for him.

He almost laughed aloud when that thought occurred to him. How could anything get any worse? He was lying alone on the cold wooden floor of a Roman slave ship, waiting for the moment that the slave dealers would drag them all up to the deck and into the port.

Never in all of his seventeen years could Jeff have ever imagined that he'd be being shipped off to Rome as a slave.

As a slave.

Jeff still hadn't got his head around the fact that he was no longer a free person; it was a concept he'd never had to deal with before. Coming from a small agricultural village in southern Italy, he'd grown up with freedom practically at his fingertips, and now he was struggling to imagine a life without it. In fact, it had been a concept that he'd always believed in, he remembered his mother always saying to him:

"Freedom isn't a choice, Jeff, it's a right, and no one can take it away from you."

Jeff almost laughed aloud at that thought, how wrong his mother had been, and how ironic it was that she'd said it to him that morning. The morning that _they_ had come…

No. He wasn't even going to think about that now. He was going to focus on the positive memories that he still had. No one could take them away from him.

When he thought about it, his earliest memory wasn't at all clear; it was more a distinct smell that he could remember. Ah yes, the smell of his mother cooking fresh bread after the harvest.

Harvest had probably been Jeff's favourite time of year. It was the time when everybody in his community had come together to work in the fields, and Jeff enjoyed that feeling of belonging to something.

He'd been five years old when his father had first let him join the rest of the men in the field, and he'd probably been a complete nuisance. When he wasn't needed to run errands, he tagged along behind his older brother, trying to keep up with the older boys, even when they told him to go away.

Jeff had never minded the fact that the older boys didn't want him around, in fact, he'd never minded not having many friends at all. He'd stayed at home a lot, helping his mother when his father didn't need him, and, when he was younger, playing with his brother in the fields. No, Jeff had never found that he'd needed friends, maybe that was for the best, because he'd have to be leaving them now anyway, wouldn't he?

No, he'd told himself not to think about that. Happy memories, that was what he should be thinking about, like the summer that a group of traders had passed through. They'd come across from Alexandria, via Greece, carrying exotic animals for Rome that had been bought in Egypt. The animals had been nothing like any of the ones that Jeff usually saw, and although he couldn't remember what any of them were called, he would always remember the way that one of them had growled menacingly at everyone who came near it. It had become a sort of game for the children, to see who could get the closest to the animal before it growled at them and scared them away.

In retrospect, Jeff realised, he had won that game. He'd actually found it quite therapeutic to sit and talk to the strange animal, and after a few days, the animal stopped growling at him, and just regarded him sadly.

Nobody ever believed him when he'd told them that, but when had they ever believed half of the things that he said?

"Jeff made that up."

"Jeff has an overactive imagination."

Those were just a few things that he'd heard people saying about him the past. His parents had always fervently denied any knowledge that people had that sort of opinion about him, but he knew that they were just trying to protect him.

They'd always been trying to protect him. But from what? Jeff knew now, they'd been trying to protect him from the reality of life itself, the trials and the tribulations that he'd have to face. He'd always been regarded as the fragile child in comparison to his brother, but Jeff had never really felt fragile in any way, he knew in his own heart and mind that he wasn't fragile, but he'd never done anything to dispel the illusion.

Why was he thinking about this now? He was only supposed to be remembering the good memories. But why try and shy away from these thoughts? They were the truth after all.

And, for the first time since he had boarded the ship, Jeff considered the possibility that life in a city would be good for him.

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**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter! Again, there's more character development in here to give some key information for the rest of the story, but the real plot starts at the end.**

**I want to thank ****_Eraman_****,****_ XXXNiffWevidTradRobastianXXX _****and ****_Izzygrace2143_**** for leaving some lovely reviews for the last chapter! And also everyone else who favourited or followed this story! :)**

**I have put a few historical notes at the end to explain some things.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

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"Nicholas, your father wishes to speak to you."

Nick sighed as his mother's voice drifted through his bedroom door to where he was sprawled across his bed, rapidly writing on a small piece of paper. He put down his writing things and quickly tucked them under his bed, where no one would find them. He didn't even want to consider what his parents would do if they found his poems.

"Coming, Mother!" he called in return, exiting his bedroom and hurrying to the dining room, where his parents were lying on the couches eating breakfast.

They both looked up when he entered.

"Ah, Nicholas," his father said, "I was wondering when you'd finally emerge from your room and show yourself. It's bad to hole yourself up alone all day, you know."

Nick had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at his father; the man said it was bad if Nick showed his face around the house too often as well.

"I'm sorry, Father, it won't happen again," he said, plastering a fake smile on his face and waiting for whatever his father had to say.

"Since it is your birthday today, Nicholas," his father continued, "I have deemed you old enough to be a man, do you understand?"

Nick nodded, wondering whether his parents would ever grant his request to be known as Nick and not Nicholas. If he was honest, they probably never would. He'd asked his father about it once, but he'd just told him that Nick wasn't a proper name. Nick hadn't dared to contest his father's judgement to his face, but he was pretty sure that Nick counted as a valid name; he called himself that, all of his friends called him that and no one had ever laughed at him when he introduced himself. Anyway, how could the name Nick not be acceptable? Especially since his father seemed to accept the names that his mother called the household slaves, and some of them were definitely worse than Nick.

However, Nick's musings within his own head were abruptly interrupted as his father spoke again.

"Well, since we both agree on that, I've decided that it is high time that I bought you your own slave."

Nick suddenly felt as though the ceiling of the dining room had collapsed inwards and was slowly crushing him; he tried to take deep breaths but his chest just tightened in panic, as though he was suffocating. He swayed slightly on the spot as he tried to calm himself. A slave? His father couldn't be serious. In a moment, he'd laugh it off and say that he wouldn't waste good money on Nick, wouldn't he? Then Nick would be able to breathe again.

But instead his father was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

His head was spinning wildly, this couldn't be happening, could it? Nick, the boy who'd once vehemently promised Wes and Sebastian that he'd never own a slave because he thought slavery was cruel, was getting a slave for his birthday.

_As a present_. The thought itself was sickening, one human being claiming to have ownership over another and then passing them off like any old object. Nick hated slavery with a passion, and he guessed that he was in the minority of the Roman Empire, since slavery was such a widespread occurrence. Most people didn't even blink when someone mentioned it, and slaves were a common sight throughout the entirety of the city.

But just because it was common, did that make it right? Nick didn't think so. He was a firm believer that freedom was a right, not something that had to be earned, and therefore, he'd vowed to never own a slave in his lifetime.

Yet, now his father was going to make him buy his own slave. His _own_ slave. Nick was about to voice his displeasure, when he realised that it would do him no good; his mother would look down on him even more and probably brand him a failure, while his father would buy him three slaves just to spite him.

"So, Nicholas?" his mother's voice startled him, "Are you going to thank your father?"

"I…I…" Nick stuttered, struggling to find anything to say in this situation.

"No need to thank me, son," his father said jovially, "I know when I'm doing you a favour."

Nick's eyes widened and he wondered whether they'd fall out of his head if he got any more surprises. His father thought that his lack of response was due to his joy; that he was thrilled to be getting a slave. How much more wrong could he be?

However, Nick couldn't see anyway of getting out of this, so he gritted his teeth and flashed a smile at his parents.

"Thank you, Father, Mother," he managed to get out, stopping himself before he choked on his own words.

"We're glad you appreciate it, Nicholas," his mother said, "Sometimes we worry that you aren't exactly grateful for everything we give you." Her eyes narrowed at her son as she spoke, willing him to defy her.

Nick sighed quietly, trust his mother to bring this up. Yes, they'd given him a house to live in; clothes to wear; an education; food to eat; but not the one thing Nick craved: some love and attention.

But as much as Nick wanted to tell them this, he didn't think he could face an argument right now, so, again, he just smiled.

"I'm always grateful, Mother," he said, "And I'm sorry if I don't always show it."

His mother didn't say anything in return, but at least she looked mildly satisfied with his answer.

"Well, Nicholas," his father said, getting off the couch and motioning to a waiting slave to take the food away, "There's a slave auction today in the Forum, we'd better be off if we want to get the best ones."

_The best ones_. As though somebody could categorise one human being as better than another, Nick curled his hands into fists behind his back, but remained silent.

"Well, go and get ready then," his father shooed him away with a dismissive wave, "I'll expect you in the atrium in ten minutes, I'm sure the household gods are waiting for you."

Nick nodded respectfully, and fled the room as quickly as he could without it being obvious.

The household gods were in the lararium; small statues and a few paintings were the relics that Nick's family prayed to, representatives of the real gods who kept watch over the house and its occupants.

Nick picked up some of the fruits that lay beside the lararium on the small table, and placed the food in front of the statues.

"Bless me, household gods," he began, "And favour me today."

He looked up at the figures, searching for whether any of them held any sort of clue as to what he was supposed to do.

"What do I do, household gods?" he asked pleadingly, "How am I supposed to own a slave if I don't even believe in slavery?"

The statues in the lararium just stared back at him blankly, regarding him with their stone eyes. Nick sighed. How could he expect the gods to worry about his problems?

But suddenly, as one of the slaves opened the front door, a huge gust of wind ripped through the house and knocked over one of the books that were standing on a shelf in the atrium. There was a crash as the large book clattered onto the table below, falling open at one of the middle pages.

Nick went over to pick it back up and return it to its original position, when one of the words on the page caught his eye:

"Friends," Nick whispered it aloud.

He shook his head and closed the book, replacing it on the shelf and wondering why he seemed to feel that that word was so significant.

"Ready, Nicholas?" his father's voice called from the front door.

"Yes, Father!" Nick replied, turning away from the bookshelf and thinking nothing of what had just happened.

For the entirety of the journey to the Forum, Nick was restless, his head whirling in apprehension about what was about to happen; he was about to revoke the most solemn vow he'd ever made to his friends. He was so nervous that he missed a few of his father's acquaintances as they passed, and his father scolded him on his manners because he hadn't greeted them. For a fleeting minute, Nick thought that his father might then decide he wasn't ready to be a man yet, and therefore, he wouldn't get him a slave, but they continued on their journey regardless.

Nick heard the Forum before he saw it, the loud clamour overriding the rest of the city. And he realised that there was no way that he could back out now.

* * *

"Get up!"

Jeff jumped as a loud voice startled the silence of the ship's hold and was quickly followed by a brutal onslaught of bright light. The sunshine burned his eyes, and he had to blink rapidly to adjust them from the previous darkness to the newfound light.

"We've docked!" the same voice yelled again, "We're going ashore now!"

Jeff and the rest of the prisoners were hustled to their feet, and then pushed towards the deck. Jeff was grateful for small mercies, at least they'd told them what was happening, and hadn't just shepherded them out, where they could have been thrown overboard for all they knew.

Outside, Jeff was greeted with his first view of a proper city. It was huge, and the sheer amount of people in just the port immediately made Jeff feel only a few inches tall. It was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time.

"Welcome to Rome!" one of the sailors cried gleefully, patting Jeff on the shoulder, "Get used to it, it's your new home!" He grinned, and Jeff recoiled at the state of the man's teeth; they were either blackened or yellowed, and some were completely missing. A terrible thought struck Jeff, what if all the people in this city were as horrifying as this sailor?

No, of course they wouldn't be, and Jeff suddenly heard his mother's voice in his head.

"Don't judge people before you know them, Jeffrey."

Jeff's eyes pricked with tears, he could hear his mother so clearly that it was as though she was standing right next to him. No, he couldn't let these people see that he was upset or scared. So he put on a brave face and stayed expressionless so that they couldn't see his emotional turmoil inside as they were led up the gangway and into the port.

* * *

"Good," Nick's father said, as they stopped in an opportune spot in the Forum, "We're early." Nick couldn't see what was good about the situation at all, but he didn't dare say that.

They didn't have to wait long; within a few minutes, there was a great surge in the crowd as they led the slaves through.

Nick caught a few glimpses of them as the crowd parted to let them reach the furthest end of the Forum, where the official regulators of the slave auction were already waiting. Although he couldn't see much, the few captives he could see looked absolutely terrified, and Nick didn't blame them for a second; they had been dragged from their homes and thrown headfirst into an unknown world, where they would be expected to obey every order that was yelled at them.

Eventually, the procession made it within a few feet of where Nick and his father were standing, and Nick found he had a good vantage point upon which to observe the slaves.

He quickly cast his eyes across the long line; watching as the slave trader hurried to and fro, untying certain slaves, and herding others towards the officials.

Suddenly, he found himself drawn towards the furthest end of the line, as he locked gazes with a tall blonde boy, who looked about a similar age to him. The blonde boy looked horrified that Nick had even looked at him, but also as though he was trying to remain expressionless, even in light of what he was facing.

Nick tried to smile reassuringly at the boy, while also admiring him for his courage to not break down in the same way that many other slaves were. The boy didn't respond to Nick's smile, he just continued to stare at him; although, Nick would have sworn that the boy had blushed slightly.

Suddenly, Nick found that his father was speaking to him, and he had to break his gaze with the slave boy, and give his father his whole attention.

"Now, Nicholas," his father said, "I want you to choose a personal slave for yourself. Don't worry about the price, that'll pay itself back in the work that the slave does for you, do you understand?"

Nick nodded, not understanding how what his father was saying was right; he was acting as though the slave would be repaying a debt to Nick himself, yet none of the slaves in front of him owed him anything. In fact, Nick was pretty sure that it was his fellow citizens who owed these people their freedom.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nick caught sight of the slave trader speaking to a man that he recognised as one of the local gladiator trainers, and he was just close enough to hear what they were saying.

"I'm looking for twenty new men," the trainer said. The slave trader nodded.

"What about these twenty on the end?" he asked, and Nick immediately felt awfully sorry for whoever had been chosen, it was bad enough being a slave, but becoming a gladiator was worse.

He glanced down the line to pity those about to be sold to the trainer, only to lock eyes with the blonde boy again.

Wait! The blonde was within the group of slaves the slave trader was preparing to sell! Nick's heart started racing uncontrollably; the blonde boy looked so terrified, as though he'd already anticipated his fate. Nick couldn't just let him go like that, could he? Let him go and then go on with his own life, and choose another slave, could he do it?

No, he couldn't.

"Father!" Nick cried hurriedly, catching his father's attention immediately, "I've decided on a slave." He motioned towards the blonde boy. "I would like him, please!"

* * *

**A/N: I have a few historical points to make about this chapter, just to make everything clear:**

**1. The lararium is a shrine to the Roman household gods and ancestors, and almost every Roman had some sort of one in their home that they would worship every day with prayers or offerings. Many larariums were very ornate to please the gods.**

**2. The atrium is the room directly inside the front door, it is almost like an entrance hall, but is larger and contains more furniture than just a hall.**

**3. Most slave markets were conducted in a more orderly fashion than in this story, slaves would have boards that gave their names, ages and skills to inform the buyers, and they would often be bidded on. I changed this to make it more straightforward. Slaves were also sold naked, but I didn't exactly think that was appropriate for this story - and I didn't want Nick's first impression of Jeff to be him without any clothes on!**

**PM or review if you want to ask me any more questions about the historical aspect, or just the story in general! Or just review and tell me what you think of the story so far!**

**Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: There's lots of Niff bonding in this one! Also, here's some points to note: the ****_exhedra_**** is a sort of summer dining room, and the ****_Amphitheatrum Neronis _****was an amphitheatre built by Nero for gladiatorial games.**

**Thank you for everyone who has reviewed or followed or favourited!**

* * *

"I would like him, please!"

Nick's father looked pleased that his son was finally showing some proper interest in the slave auction, and he approached the slave trader, who was still arranging the slaves for the gladiator trainer.

"My good man," Nick's father clapped the slave trader on the shoulder, while Nick trailed a few feet behind, still not quite believing what he had just asked his father to do. "I'm buying a slave for my son's birthday," Nick's father continued in a loud voice, which made Nick cringe as everyone found out about their business. "And he would like to buy this one." Again, Nick cringed as his father referred to the blonde boy as an object, he tried to give the boy an apologetic smile, but the blonde was now staring intently at his feet.

"I was actually about to sell him to this man," the slave trader began, motioning to the gladiator trainer, he then went to continue speaking, but Nick's father interrupted him.

"There are plenty of other men here who would be better suited to the arena. But my son has specifically chosen this boy. Now, what price are you asking for him?"

For once, Nick was glad that his father was such a well known and powerful senator, because the slave trader didn't dare argue, and neither did the trainer.

After a minute or two of bartering, Nick's father handed over the money to the slave trader, who thanked him profusely, and then he turned to Nick.

"Are you pleased, Nicholas?" he asked.

"Yes, Father," Nick said dutifully, watching as his father beckoned for the blonde boy to follow them.

* * *

Jeff was terrified. There was no other way to put it. Here he was, in the middle of an unknown city, being gawked at by random strangers, and occasionally prodded by others. If he was honest, he was surprised no one had checked his teeth in the same way that they did to horses and cows back home in his village, because this experience seemed very similar.

As he was hustled past a group of well dressed potential buyers, Jeff caught the eye of a short brunette boy, who appeared to be around his own age, although, Jeff immediately noticed, of a completely different social class. The other boy gave him a reassuring smile, and Jeff quickly forced himself to remain emotionless. One, he was embarrassed that the other boy could see his fear, and two, he found himself blushing because another boy had just smiled at him. He quickly told himself to get a grip, and was relieved when the other boy's attention was gained by the older man beside him.

Suddenly, Jeff found himself being slowly shunted into a small group of twenty or so other men, as the slave trader busied himself around them. That was when realisation hit him: he was about to be sold! Sold like a lump of meat or a piece of wood.

Jeff had no idea who he was being sold to, but deep inside he knew that it wasn't good; there had to be something wrong if the buyer wanted that many slaves at once. In his panic, Jeff let his guard down, and his eyes widened in fear.

Just then, there was a commotion and the older man who had been with the brunette boy came hurrying towards the slave trader, clearly intent on buying a slave. Jeff couldn't exactly hear the beginning of the conversation, but he heard the man say loudly:

"He would like to buy this one."

Jeff jerked his head up at that, immediately curious as to whom he was referring to. He got the shock of his life when he found that the man was pointing directly at him. His first reaction was to be vaguely proud that someone had actually personally wanted him, and then he became indignant at the way that the man had blatantly referred to him as an object.

But that was what he was now, wasn't it? At least, in the eyes of the law he was a personal possession, and, most likely, the majority of the population held the same views.

He noticed the brunette boy giving him an apologetic smile, apologising for the older man's manner, and probably also pitying Jeff's situation. Jeff didn't need anyone's pity, so he just stared at his feet, hoping that the brunette would get the hint and stop looking at him as though he was completely broken.

After a few more minutes of discussion between the slave trader and the other man, the man handed over a sum of money, and the slave trader pocketed it, looking satisfied.

Then, the older man turned to the brunette, who now looked faintly ill. Jeff wondered if the heat and the close crush of the large crowds were getting to the other boy. It was definitely getting to Jeff, whose idea of a crowd was a group of around thirty individuals, not the hundreds that he could see around him now. This was the city, not his little village, and he had to remember that.

"You're going with them," the slave trader said gruffly, giving Jeff a sharp push forward in the direction of the older man and the brunette boy.

The action startled Jeff and he stumbled forward, almost tripping into the dusty cobbles. He did not need to humiliate himself further by falling flat on his face, so he righted himself quickly and followed the older man, who was now beckoning to him.

The older man took a hold of the rope that was binding Jeff's wrists so that Jeff was being led behind him, without a chance of escape. Jeff's mind immediately made the parallel between his situation, and that of an animal being led to slaughter, but he desperately hoped that the similarities ended there; he didn't fancy being killed and then being eaten by the boy and his father. Jeff had to force back a laugh at his previous thought but he bit his lip just in time, not knowing whether laughing would earn him some sort of punishment; he didn't know what would earn him a punishment at all yet, he didn't know anything yet.

* * *

Nick stayed dutifully at his father's side for the entire walk home, but what he really wanted to do was to run to the blonde boy, untie his bonds and then tell him he was free.

But he couldn't do that, not without risking punishment for both himself and the blonde boy; or worse, his father would make the blonde boy take all of the punishment, and Nick didn't think that he could have that on his conscience.

Eventually, they made it back to Nick's home, and found his mother waiting for them in the atrium. Nick hoped that she wouldn't make it too obvious that the only reason she was there was to inspect the blonde boy that they had brought home, but it was just his luck when she immediately stood up and spoke.

"Is this the slave you bought, then?"

"Yes, cost me a fair bit too," Nick's father answered, "The trader felt that he was worth a lot; well, we'll see about that."

"Yes, we'll see," Nick's mother nodded, "If he's such a good purchase, did no one else want him?"

"We outbid a gladiator trainer, one of the men from the Amphitheatrum Neronis, he was looking for twenty good men."

"Well, if this one doesn't behave or isn't satisfactory, then the trainer can willingly have him back," Nick's mother said, as Nick willed her to stop speaking before he died of embarrassment, why did his family constantly have to act as though the blonde boy couldn't hear them?

"Well, I hope you've thanked your father, Nicholas," his mother continued speaking, "And I hope you're finally satisfied."

"Thank you, Father," Nick said quickly, having to stop himself before he blurted out that he mostly definitely _wasn't_ satisfied.

"Well, I think you should take your new slave and get him acquainted to the household, don't you think?" his mother said, looking at him intently, indicating that however much she made it sound like it, it was an order not a question. "I doubt he's probably trained."

"No, Mother," Nick said stiffly, "I'll go right away."

He turned to the blonde boy, and hurriedly beckoned for him to follow so that they could get away from his parents, and Nick could maybe make up for the way that the blonde had just been treated. There was only one problem: Nick had no idea how to do just that, he'd never owned a slave before, and he'd never planned to own a slave in his life.

He decided to take the blonde boy into the exhedra, where he knew that his parents wouldn't eavesdrop on whether he was 'educating' the blonde boy properly.

The blonde was silent as they walked, refusing to even make eye contact with Nick.

Nick didn't blame him, not at all, because of what the blonde was going through, Nick didn't even deserve any attention from him. But he was going to change that, wasn't he? He was going to improve the blonde's current situation in any way he could.

At least, he hoped that he would.

Once they'd reached the exhedra, Nick sat down on the nearest couch and waited for the blonde to join him, but the other boy remained standing.

"You can sit down," Nick said softly, "If you want to."

The blonde's gaze flickered up for a second, and then returned to his feet. Nick could see that he was clearly having an internal debate with himself about whether it was correct or not for him sit on one of the couches.

"It's okay," Nick continued, "You're allowed to sit down."

"Thank you." Nick almost missed the blonde boy's barely audible reply as he sunk down onto the couch opposite. It was the first time the blonde had spoken, and Nick strangely found himself smiling broadly at the sound of the other boy's voice.

"So, what's your name?" Nick asked.

The blonde boy again glanced worriedly at Nick, and then back down to where his hands rested in his lap.

"Jeff," he replied in the same whispered tone. Nick nodded encouragingly.

"I'm Nick," he said.

Jeff just continued to stare at his hands. Nick sighed, and opened his mouth to try again, when, to his surprise, the other boy actually spoke without being prompted.

"Your father was a soldier, wasn't he?"

Nick was so shocked that he didn't respond immediately.

"Uh, yeah, he was," he managed to say finally.

And suddenly that impassive expression that Jeff had had during the auction was back in place.

"But he's a senator now!" Nick quickly amended, sensing the tension that was now in the room because of his father's occupation.

Jeff didn't reply; he appeared to have stopped even looking at Nick again.

* * *

Nick's father was a soldier. Jeff couldn't even believe he'd considered that things might get better for him. He knew what soldiers were like; he'd seen what they did to people's lives.

However, Jeff knew that a small part of him was fighting off these accusations. Nick wasn't a soldier himself, was he? So, was Jeff really being fair to him?

Yes, he decided, because it was likely that Nick's father wanted him to become a soldier, and then Nick would become the same as the rest of them.

But they weren't all like that, were they? Jeff had met one who wasn't. No, he was trying not to remember those memories. But now doubt was creeping into his mind, and he was starting to reconsider whether it was too harsh to completely ignore Nick just because of who his father was.

"Jeff, I'm sorry about the way you've been treated," Nick spoke suddenly, catching Jeff off-guard. "My parents do that to everyone, don't take it personally. I'm not trying to make what they have said right, or defend them, but I just thought you should know."

Oh, so Nick thought Jeff was angry about the way his parents had spoken to him; no, this anger went much deeper. What Nick's parents had said barely made a dent in what had previously happened to him.

Jeff slowly shook his head, actually deciding to acknowledge Nick.

"I don't care," he said, "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter," Nick said, "You matter, Jeff. Everybody deserves to be treated like a human being, but people have been treating you as though you're worthless." He reached out to take one of Jeff's hands, but Jeff flinched at the contact and Nick quickly withdrew.

Jeff's mind was spinning, was somebody actually acting as though he mattered in this world? Surely this wasn't real. Maybe Nick was trying to trick him into a false sense of security? Jeff had fallen for that trick before, hadn't he?

* * *

Nick could tell that Jeff still didn't trust him in the slightest. Although the blonde was acknowledging him again, he'd been noticeable confused about his sudden care for him. There was no way that Nick could have Jeff constantly being afraid of him; he was slightly hurt that Jeff regarded him in the same way that any slave would regard his master.

No, Nick couldn't have that, not after his complete opposition to slavery. He needed to make this right, and he needed to make it right immediately.

"Listen, Jeff," he began, watching as the blonde looked at him warily, "There's something I need to get straight with you."

He paused, and watched as doubt crossed Jeff's face; no doubt he was thinking that Nick was about to reel off a list of orders or rules to him. Well, that definitely wasn't going to happen.

"This is going to sound really stupid," Nick continued, "But, I don't agree with slavery."

Jeff's eyes widened comically in disbelief, and he let out a short laugh at the irony, before he noticed what he'd done and covered his mouth quickly.

"You're allowed to laugh," Nick said, smiling reassuringly, "But, yeah, it does seem stupid, doesn't it?"

Jeff appeared to look slightly more relaxed, as it appeared to sink in that Nick wasn't reprimanding him.

"You don't believe in slavery?" Jeff asked boldly, "Yet you bought me today?"

Nick ducked his head in shame.

"Yeah, my father thought that a slave would make a good present for me," Nick explained, "He's decided that since it's my seventeenth birthday, I'm now a man."

"So, you didn't really want me?" Jeff asked tentatively.

Nick shook his head.

"No, I didn't," he said without thinking, and then he saw Jeff's face fall.

"Oh," Jeff said quietly, "I knew that no one truly wanted me."

Nick shook his head.

"I didn't mean it like that, Jeff," he corrected himself, "I meant that I had never wanted to have a slave at all, I vowed to my friends years ago that I would never own another human being because it was completely wrong. It's nothing personal."

Jeff looked slightly pacified.

"What are you going to do, then?" he asked timidly, "Are you going to send me to that gladiator trainer, like your mother said?"

Nick looked horrified immediately.

"Of course not!" he cried, "That's not a fate I'd willingly give to anyone, I know a gladiator, and trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be!"

Jeff laughed again.

"You know a gladiator?" he asked incredulously, "And what do your parents think about this?"

Nick grinned at the fact that Jeff had eventually warmed up to him.

"They have no idea," he said, "They don't know much about me at all, to be honest!"

"So," Jeff began awkwardly, "What are we going to do about me?"

"Well," Nick said, rapidly wracking his brains for an idea, "We could…" He trailed off in thought.

Suddenly, an image appeared in his head; an image of the book page from earlier, and he immediately knew what they could do.

"We could be friends?" he suggested, and Jeff smiled broadly at the idea.

"I'd like that," he said, almost shyly.

"But," Nick continued, "We have to hide it from my parents, or who knows what they'll do to you! When we're with my friends or alone, it'll be fine, but otherwise, if I act weird, then you have to act along too, okay?"

Jeff nodded.

"Got it," he said.

"So, friends?" Nick clarified, holding out his hand for Jeff to take.

"Friends," Jeff announced with a grin, grasping Nick's hand and shaking it decisively.

Maybe things were starting to look up in Jeff's life. Maybe.

* * *

**A/N: I also think I should point out that in Roman society, boys became men at 16, but here I have changed it to 17 for story purposes!**

**Please review and tell me what you think, or ask me any questions!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Please enjoy the fourth chapter, and thank you again to everyone who has reviewed or favourited or followed! :)**

**Warnings: Not really much, just mentions of injuries from chariot racing (really not graphic at all), and also mentions of prostitution. I thought I'd better include this in case it offends anyone.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Nick and Jeff trailed behind Nick's parents as they walked through the streets. Fortunately for them, they were far enough away that they could talk freely without anything being suspected.

"So, where are we going again?" Jeff asked for about the third time, he was completely in awe of the city around him, and so hadn't been paying much attention to whatever Nick had said to him beforehand.

Nick laughed at the excited expression on Jeff's face whenever something new happened, such as when they'd passed a temple and Jeff had been mesmerised by the brightly coloured statues adorning the front steps.

"We're going to the Circus Maximus," Nick explained.

"The Circus what?" Jeff asked, frowning in confusion.

"The Circus Maximus," Nick repeated, "It's a huge arena for chariot racing, and today is the first day of the Ludi Apollinares."

Jeff just looked more confused.

Everything was suddenly very new to him, and he felt slightly uncomfortable with it all; he felt that he no longer had any control over what happened to him. Fortunately, Nick made him feel safer, Nick understood the city, he'd grown up with it all, and maybe he could teach Jeff to understand it all? Yes, Jeff thought that he would like that.

Nick suddenly noticed Jeff's lost look, so he reached over and grabbed Jeff's hand out of impulse and squeezed it reassuringly.

Jeff jumped at the sudden feel of Nick's warm fingers around his. He forced himself not to blush, and he looked up at Nick shyly to see the other boy smiling at him. And then, almost as soon as Nick's hand had appeared, it disappeared and Nick continued talking.

"The Ludi Apollinares is a festival, they hold events, such as the chariot racing we're about to see, for a week at this time each year," he explained, as Jeff began to nod slowly.

"We never had anything like this at home," Jeff said quietly, his voice falling as he remembered his village, "Everything's so…" His voice trailed off and he gazed around him.

"Overwhelming?" Nick finished for him.

Jeff smiled briefly, although his expression was quickly replaced with terror as they had to jump out of the way to narrowly avoid being trampled by a donkey being driven by three young boys.

As soon as they had passed, Jeff felt incredibly stupid; it was only a donkey, he'd seen a donkey before. Maybe it was just the closed-in nature of Rome's streets that frightened him. Yes, maybe he missed the feeling of being able to look for miles in all directions.

"Jeff, it's okay to be scared," Nick's calm voice again broke through his thoughts and comforted him when he needed it most.

Jeff had never had a proper friend before, and he'd never really known what to expect from a friendship, but if him and Nick were friends, then he was enjoying the experience very much.

"Listen," Nick was continuing to talk again, "We're almost at the Circus now, and we're meeting a few of my friends there, Wes and Sebastian, their fathers are senators like my father."

Jeff paled slightly at the idea of having to socialise with other people. What if they didn't hold the same views as Nick and thought that Jeff should be treated like a slave? Would Nick be able to defend him, or would he be left having to go along with it?

"Jeff, they don't bite," Nick said, "Well, I wouldn't put it past Seb sometimes, but he's harmless really." He saw Jeff frowning in confusion again, so he quickly elaborated. "Seb is, well, you'll see when you meet him. Just don't take anything he says too personally."

Jeff nodded, he could do that. After the events of the last few days, he was starting to learn not to let anything get to him; he hadn't become particularly proficient in it yet, though, he was still a human after all, he still had feelings.

"Nicholas, hurry up!" Nick's mother's voice floated its way back to them, "We don't want to miss anything."

"Coming, Mother!" Nick called back.

He and Jeff started walking a little faster, this time in silence as they neared his parents. His mother barely acknowledged their presence once they'd caught up, and his father had already wandered off to speak to some of his acquaintances.

Another finely dressed woman arrived near them suddenly, addressing Nick's mother.

"We'd better head inside to our seats," she said, "The procession will be along in a minute and we don't want to get too close the peasants." As she spoke, she sneered slightly, and wrinkled her nose disgustedly at the thought of ordinary people.

"Of course not," Nick's mother agreed, "Let us go in. Nicholas, follow me closely, please, goodness knows what sort of unsavoury characters one can find around here."

"Yes, Mother," Nick replied dutifully, as he and Jeff trailed behind the two women.

Jeff gave Nick a questioning look, and then motioned towards the other woman.

"She's Seb's stepmother," Nick explained, "Likes money, and that's about all I know about her, I don't think she has a personality." Jeff stifled a laugh just as the two women turned around.

"Nicholas, keep your slave in check, please," Nick's mother said, glaring at Jeff, who now look absolutely terrified.

"Yes, Mother," Nick repeated, hitting Jeff's arm in warning. Jeff flinched and looked a little hurt, before he remembered that he was supposed to be acting.

Nick's mother looked mildly pacified, before she turned back to Seb's stepmother.

"Hey, Nick!" a loud voice called out, causing both Nick and Jeff to spin around. "Happy birthday, Nicky-boy!"

Nick groaned loudly at the sight of the tall brunette waving his arms a few seats away from them. Jeff wanted to laugh again at the look on Nick's face, but he didn't dare risk being told off again.

"Sit down, Sebastian," the boy next to tall brunette said in an exasperated voice, and Jeff could tell that he'd already said that particularly line a few times. "You're embarrassing Nick, you're embarrassing me and you're embarrassing yourself."

The tall brunette, the infamous Sebastian, shrugged and sat back down, taking to flicking dried fruit at the boy next to him instead, who eventually confiscated the bag.

"Oh, Wesley!" Sebastian pouted, while the other boy just glared at him.

"Come on, we'd better go join them before Sebastian starts singing or something equally embarrassing," Nick said, grinning at his friends.

"He's done that before?" Jeff asked, wide-eyed.

Nick nodded.

"And it was the sort of song that no self-respecting citizen ever wants to hear, I dread to think where he got it from. I'm pretty sure the only reason people put up with him is because his father is the Emperor's best friend."

"No, they put up with me because they love me!" Sebastian cried, patting the stone bench next to him for Nick to sit down.

Nick sat down, pulling Jeff with him.

"Is this okay, me sitting with you, I mean," Jeff asked worriedly.

"Sure," Nick nodded, "I could go and sit with the rest of the population if I wanted to, not that my parents would approve."

"Happy birthday, Nick," the boy on the other side of Sebastian said.

"Thank you, Wes," Nick said, "Guys, this is Jeff, Jeff this Sebastian, and this is Wes."

"Pleasure to meet you, Jeff," Wes and Sebastian said at the same time; Wes sounded genuine, Jeff couldn't tell with Sebastian, the other boy appeared to be shamelessly staring at him and he felt rather uncomfortable.

"You didn't say you were bringing a new friend, Nick," Wes said, looking at his friend curiously.

Nick grimaced and looked slightly ill.

"My father had the slightly mad notion that I'm now a man," he began, which earned a laugh from Sebastian, who then got a slap from Wes, "And so, this morning, he bought me Jeff, as a slave."

For once, Sebastian was speechless, and Jeff had to admit that the twin expressions of shock and horror that Seb and Wes were now wearing were quite amusing.

"But," Nick continued, "Me and Jeff have come to an agreement, we're going to be friends."

Wes nodded.

"Like me and David?" he clarified, to which Nick looked slightly relieved.

"Yes, like you and David," he said.

"So, present time, Nicky-boo?" Sebastian asked, grinning at Nick's reaction to the nickname.

"Be nice, Seb," Wes said, slapping Sebastian again, "It's Nick's birthday."

"Alright," Sebastian said grudgingly, "You go first, Wesley."

Wes rolled his eyes, and pulled out a few rolls of parchment from under the bench.

"I knew you would always need more," he said, "My father said it's the finest he's ever seen."

Nick's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Thank you, Wes!" he cried happily, he'd been needing some new parchment for a few days, and he was dreading the time he would have to ask his parents for some more; no doubt they would ask what it was for, and he wasn't planning on telling them that.

"Alright," Sebastian interrupted briskly, "It's just a few pieces of parchment. I got you a real present, Nicky." Nick looked mildly terrified for a second, and Jeff wondered whether he should worry for Nick's safety, or sanity, or both.

"I hope it's better than last year's present," Wes said, giving Sebastian a warning look.

"Oh, please," Sebastian said, "Of course I outdid myself again."

Wes rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"Here you go, Nicky-boo," Seb said, placing a piece of folded parchment in Nick's palm.

"I thought you were mocking me for giving Nick parchment?" Wes frowned, "At least I gave him a few decent sheets."

This time it was Sebastian's turn to roll his eyes.

"Open it, Nick," he said, watching as the smaller brunette boy carefully unfolded the scrap of parchment.

Jeff watched over Nick's shoulder, as the parchment eventually revealed some scribbled note. Jeff shrugged, sorely disappointed, he'd thought that it would be something completely outrageous.

"So, what do you think?" Sebastian asked, a cocky smirk on his face as Nick started silently opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.

"Goodness…Sebastian, seriously? No…ew, Seb, really?" Nick finally managed to choke out. Jeff whipped his head back towards the small brunette at the sound of disgust and embarrassment in his voice.

"What is it?" Wes asked in a bored tone, as though he hadn't expected anything else.

Jeff was fully listening now, wondering what could be so bad about the note.

"It's…er…" Nick blushed deeply and couldn't continue his sentence, so Sebastian happily finished it for him.

"It's only a free 'session' at the best place in town."

The way that he spoke put the word session immediately had Jeff's mind whirring, whatever it was, it definitely wasn't just a session.

Wes raised an eyebrow.

"Where exactly?" he asked.

"Only the best brothel in town," Sebastian clarified, looking very pleased with himself.

Jeff, meanwhile, choked on the air he was breathing in at that very moment, and descended into a coughing fit. Nick gave him an apologetic smile and patted his back until he'd finished choking.

"You idiot!" Wes hissed angrily, slapping Sebastian, "Why would Nick need to go to a brothel?"

"Hey!" Sebastian flinched, rubbing the spot where Wes had hit him, "I'm sorry, alright, I didn't realise he already had Blondie over there, did I?"

"What?!" Nick exclaimed, just as Jeff started choking on air again.

Jeff didn't know what to do, he was pretty sure that if he got any more surprises then he was going to pass out. Did Sebastian really think that was what Nick's father had bought him for?

Wait, what if that was what Nick's father had bought him for? The thought alone made him choke even harder, plus, somewhere to his right he could hear Sebastian cackling with laughter.

"Nice one, Seb," Wes' irritated voice interrupted and he slapped Sebastian yet again.

"Your faces were priceless!" Sebastian was literally howling now, as both Nick and Jeff slowly recovered and glared at him. "But, seriously, Blondie's totally hot, Nicky-boy, I'd…"

He didn't get to finish before Nick had slapped him.

"Seriously?" he asked, holding his cheek, "You too?"

"You deserved it," Wes commented, and then, in the same breath, he said, "Look, the procession's starting."

The four boys craned forward to look as the statues of the gods were carried in, and paraded once around the track.

Jeff had never seen so many colours in one place, all of the participants were dressed in bright colours, while the statues themselves were painted every colour you could imagine. Each one depicted Apollo in a different pose or situation, and Jeff found it fascinating to look at each and every one individually. As they passed, a huge cheer was raised from the crowd, and Jeff suddenly thought he might be crushed by the wave of noise.

As soon as the procession had retreated, they began bringing out the chariots for the first race, and Jeff leaned even further forward to watch them. First, the charioteers and the slaves of the Circus led out the horses, while other hurried behind with the chariots. Then, once they were in the starting gate, they attached the chariot to the horses, and the charioteer himself climbed up and strapped himself in. The slaves then handed them their helmets, and then all they had to do was wait for the Emperor to signal the start of the race.

"We support the Greens," Nick explained to Jeff, "There are three other teams, the Blues, the Reds and the Whites." Jeff nodded, trying to take it all in.

"We only support the Greens because the Emperor does," Sebastian muttered, "And therefore our fathers do, and then they make us as well."

"Seb, shh," Wes hushed his friend, knowing full well that they couldn't speak out of turn about the Emperor, especially since they were surrounded by a lot of senators.

Even from the great height that they were at, Jeff could see the horses were starting to get agitated, and he wondered when the race would start.

"Why don't they just let them go?" he whispered to Nick.

"They have to wait for the Emperor to give the signal," Nick whispered back, pointing at a grand box further down the stadium to them, "There's the Emperor now."

Jeff peered at the man emerging from the shade of the box, trying to gauge what he looked like. Jeff was not impressed, to say the least. He'd been expecting someone tall and muscular, with an imposing presence who ruled the Empire firmly but justly. Even his first impression of Nero was instantly negative; the young Emperor was only of average height, quite fat and generally rather weak looking. Jeff frowned, suddenly the whole idea of Rome had become a lot less fantastic than Jeff had been taught to believe by his parents.

The Emperor held out a red cloth, and Nick nudged Jeff, motioning for him to watch the horses as they left the starting blocks. The red cloth was dropped at the same time that a chorus of trumpets sounded, which left Jeff with a loud ringing in his ears, and then the chariots were off, racing around the track.

Jeff watched in horror as the first chariot to crash flipped over on itself, flinging its driver into the air, before plunging him into the dust, where he was promptly trampled by the next load of horses. Jeff felt a little sick as he watched, but morbid curiosity stopped him from looking away; although he found a little comfort in the fact that the man was mostly likely to have already been dead when the chariot flipped over, and therefore did not have to suffer the trampling.

As the race progressed further, and they neared the seventh and final lap, the crashes had become more brutal as there was a desperate and frantic rush to come in first place. Every time one happened, Jeff found himself hoping that the driver would get up and walk away; some did, some didn't.

Right at the last turn, one of the chariots rounded the corner too sharply, and veered up the centre wall, flipping the chariot over onto the one behind it. Jeff bit down on his hand to stop the cry that almost escaped him. While, subconsciously, his other hand found Nick's and grasped it tightly, looking for some reassurance.

Nick glanced at Jeff, down at their clasped hands, and then back up at Jeff.

"It's alright, Jeff," he said, "You don't have to watch."

Jeff flashed Nick a quick thank you smile, and they both turned back around just in time to see one of the charioteers from the Green team win. The Circus erupted into cheers as Nick smiled happily.

"That'll put the Emperor in a good mood for the rest of the afternoon," he said, "I think this is going to be a good day."

Despite worrying about the rest of the chariot races, Jeff couldn't help but smile back at Nick.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Wes were watching them, small knowing smiles on their faces.

"There is so something going on with them," Sebastian said, smirking at the oblivious pair.

"Maybe," Wes said.

"Oh, no, it's definitely, not maybe," Sebastian said, looking mightily pleased with himself, which was ruined as Wes reached across and slapped him.

"Ow," Sebastian said, "What was that for?"

"Oh, sorry, it's just a habit," Wes said, and shrugged.

"Habit?!"

"Yeah, you're very slapable."

"What?!"

Wes just leaned back in his seat and grinned at his friend's horrified expression; and the fact that there was a very visible outline of a hand print on his face.

Sebastian was so fun to annoy sometimes.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to the wonderful ****_Eraman_**** for some of the ideas in this chapter, such as Sebastian's present for Nick, the idea of Sebastian being repeatedly slapped, and also for the last bit of dialogue! :)**

**Please review and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear what you have to say! :) Or ask me any questions about the story, characters or historical aspects! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is the fifth chapter, please enjoy it!**

**Thank you for all of the reviews - I am so happy every time I get one!**

**Also, I feel like I should mention it, this story is set in the year 64AD, so if you want to look it up then it might give you a slight hint as to what might also happen in the rest of this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Nearly three days had passed since Jeff had arrived in Nick's life, and the brunette had been taking great pride in helping the other boy adjust to his new home and surroundings.

Over the past few days, Jeff had really come out of his shell and Nick had been greatly enjoying his company. Yes, Jeff still spooked a little at any loud noise in the city, and always looked mildly terrified in a crowd of more than a handful of people; but he wasn't afraid to speak to Nick about his fears now, and he looked more comfortable in himself.

And, in turn, Jeff had provided Nick with a companionship that went deeper than either of the brunette's friendships with Sebastian and Wes. Of course, Nick loved his other friends dearly and valued their friendship very highly, but he just had this connection with Jeff that he had never felt with anyone before; it was hard to put into words how Nick felt.

"What are you doing?" Jeff's voice interrupted Nick's musings suddenly.

The blonde was seated on the end of Nick's bed and, until a second ago, had been daydreaming about his family. Now, he was gazing at Nick curiously, watching as the brunette was shuffling through a pile of parchment.

Nick looked up at Jeff.

"Oh, just looking through some things," he said, continuing to sift through the sheets.

"What sort of things?" Jeff persisted.

Nick sighed, considering whether to answer Jeff or not, but the blonde's hunger for new knowledge and the questioning look on his face was just too adorable for Nick to ignore.

Wait, where did his subconscious find the word 'adorable'? Nick brushed it off, of course Jeff was adorable, and surely that was everybody's impression of him?

Nick took a deep breath and made up his mind; he was going to share one of his most important secrets with the blonde, he couldn't keep Jeff in the dark, not if he'd told Wes and Sebastian already.

"Poems," Nick said simply, "They're poems."

Jeff frowned.

"Whose poems?" he asked, and Nick allowed himself to smile proudly.

"Mine," he replied, watching as Jeff's look of confusion was replaced with one of admiration.

"Wow," the blonde breathed out slowly, "That's really cool."

"Yeah, I want to be a poet," Nick said, "But I have to keep it secret from my parents, they want me to be a soldier, and they think that poetry is a waste of my time."

Again, Jeff frowned.

"Your parents can't force you to do anything, Nick," he said, "You're your own person." Nick smiled gratefully at his friend.

"Thank you, Jeff," he said, "I try to remember that whenever they talk about my future, but they've got a lot of power over me, and if they say I have to join the army then I have to, if I want to avoid a nasty public fallout anyway."

Jeff made a face, understanding that Nick wouldn't want that at all.

"Hey, Jeff, do you, maybe, want to read one of my poems?" Nick said shyly, only realising once he'd spoken what he just offered to let Jeff do. Never in his entire life had he let anybody see his work, not even Wes or Sebastian; even though Seb had threatened to steal them and read them without Nick's knowledge one day. Maybe, this proved how much Nick trusted Jeff; he'd let him look at his most precious belongings without even considering it first.

What surprised Nick though was the fact that Jeff shook his head.

"No, thank you," Jeff said, looking down at the bed and playing with the hem of one of the sheets, "But I'm sure they're lovely, Nick."

"But you haven't read them," Nick said, frowning, "How can you know what they're like?"

He felt slightly hurt and disappointed that he'd trusted Jeff enough to let him look at something that meant the world to him, yet Jeff hadn't even spared his poems a second glance.

"I know you, Nick," Jeff smiled sheepishly, "So I'm sure they're lovely."

Nick blushed a little at the compliment, but he still felt a little upset.

"I've never offered to let anyone read these before, Jeff," he tried again, looking for an explanation as to the blonde's refusal.

"I'm sorry," Jeff said quietly, looking rather guilty now.

"You don't have to apologise," Nick said, "I'd just like to know why you won't read…"

He trailed away as realisation dawned across his face, and watched as Jeff turned away from him.

"Jeff," he said slowly, reaching out to grasp the other boy's hand, "You can't read, can you?"

Jeff shook his head tearfully, refusing to look at Nick.

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding ashamed and guilty now. Nick rubbed his thumb over Jeff's hand comfortingly.

"Jeff, you don't have to say you're sorry for something like that," he said, "And you don't have to be ashamed. It's not your fault if there wasn't a teacher where you used to live."

Jeff sniffed loudly, and then started sobbing. Nick was slightly taken aback, but nevertheless, he pulled Jeff closer to him and let the blonde rest his head on his shoulder.

Jeff felt rather pathetic crying into Nick's shoulder, but at least the other boy hadn't laughed at him or looked down upon him. Jeff was so ashamed of the fact that he couldn't read or write, everyone else could and he just felt completely stupid next to them.

"Hey, it's okay, Jeff," Nick said soothingly, stroking the blonde boy's hair comfortingly as he continued to cry.

"But there…there was a school…" Jeff choked on his tears, "There was a school…where I lived, and everyone else went there…and everyone else could read and write…and I can't…and I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid, Jeff," Nick said, "You're not stupid at all."

He'd only known the blonde for a few days, but anyone could see that Jeff wasn't stupid; he was clueless about life in the city, yes, but that didn't make him stupid at all.

"And anyway," Nick finished, "If you weren't allowed to go to school, even though everyone else was, then that's not your fault."

Jeff shook his head, sobbing even harder now.

"I…I was allowed to go to school…" he said tearfully, "But…but I didn't want to go…I…I always hid when it was school…"

"You hid?" Nick asked, confusion clouding his face.

"Yeah," Jeff said quietly, "I hid…because…I was scared of the other children…" He spoke the last part of the sentence so quietly that it was only just above a whisper, and the look on his face nearly broke Nick's heart; Jeff just looked so ashamed of himself.

Nick didn't say anything, he knew that whatever he said wouldn't make up for Jeff's past, and so he just slipped his arm around the blonde's waist and hugged him tightly.

"It sounds so stupid now," Jeff continued, "But I was, Nick, I was terrified of them…they used to tell me I was stupid or weird…I guess they were right…"

"No, Jeff, that's not true," Nick said softly, "They were wrong."

Jeff just shook his head and buried his face further into Nick's shoulder.

"No, Jeff, look at me," Nick said, forcing the blonde to lift his head up and look him in the eyes.

The blonde's eyes were red and filled with tears, while his hair was sticking up in all directions. Nick had the sudden urge to wipe away Jeff's tears himself, but he stopped himself once he realised that action might be just a little too forward.

"Jeff, you are not stupid," Nick said, "You are not stupid or weird at all. The people who said those things to you, they were not speaking the truth, they didn't know you, but I do. I know that you're one of the nicest people I've ever met; you can be funny or you can be serious; you're extremely brave for putting up with some of the things that you've had to deal with; and you're my best friend. Now, don't forget how special you are."

Jeff gave Nick a watery smile.

"You're my best friend too, Nick," he said, "And thank you for making me feel better, and for not laughing at me, other people would have done."

"Oh, and Jeff," Nick said, "If you want, I can teach you to read and write?"

Jeff's eyes lit up at the prospect and he nodded eagerly.

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," Nick replied, grinning. He shifted slightly on the bed and found that something crackled underneath him. Jeff noticed it too, and looked just as puzzled as Nick did. They both stood up, looking down at the bed but not seeing anything.

"Maybe it's under the sheets," Nick suggested, wondering what could possibly have made it there. Carefully, he lifted the sheet up and looked down.

There, on his bed, lay a carefully folded sheet of parchment.

"Is that one of your poems?" Jeff asked.

Nick shook his head.

"No," he said, picking up the parchment and unfolding it delicately.

"What is it?" Jeff asked quietly, watching as some writing was revealed.

"Dear Nick and Jeff," Nick began to read aloud, smiling to himself at the fact that it was addressed to Jeff too, "I must speak to you urgently about a grave matter. You were not home when I stopped by earlier, but please come to my house as soon as you get this note. Wes."

Both boys looked at each other anxiously.

"It must be serious," Nick said, "Especially if Wes didn't send a slave to deliver the message."

Jeff nodded in agreement.

"Well then, Jeff," Nick said, clapping his hands together as he spoke, "I suppose we're off to Wes'."

* * *

Wes' family home was a ten minute walk away from Nick's house, and as they walked Nick filled Jeff in on anything he might need to know about Wes' family.

Wes lived with only his father and their household slaves, as Wes' mother had died when he was very young. Nick had always got the impression that Wes' father had never quite got over his wife's death, and once or twice he'd heard his own father suggesting that Wes' father remarry, but the other man wouldn't hear any of it. Wes was very close to his father, and often Nick felt slightly envious of that fact, wishing that he had the same relationship with his own father.

Nick also explained to Jeff about David. David was Wes' closest friend, and had originally been one of their household slaves, but had been freed after he'd apprehended a thief who was trying to enter the house while Wes and his father had been away visiting friends.

It was David who opened the door to them when they arrived.

"Thank goodness you're here," David said, "He's freaking out in here."

"Okay," Nick said, not quite grasping the situation yet. "And, David, this is Jeff. Jeff, this is David."

"Pleased to meet you," David said, as he extended a hand to the blonde boy, "It's a shame it couldn't be under pleasanter circumstances."

Jeff shook David's hand, while Nick just looked more anxious.

"David, what exactly is going on?" he asked.

"Come with me," David said, "I'll let Wes explain properly."

Both Nick and Jeff nodded understandingly, and followed David into the dining room of the house, where they found Wes waiting for them.

Wes was sitting on one of the couches, wringing his hands and occasionally shifting around as though he couldn't become comfortable where he was. Nick and David were both regarding him pityingly.

"I told you he was freaking out," David whispered aside to both of them, but while Nick nodded, Jeff couldn't help thinking that Wes was awfully calm for someone who was supposed to be going mad with worry about something; but maybe Wes was just such a calm person that even him acting like he this was unusual.

"Thank you for coming, guys," Wes said, finally looking up and acknowledging their presence. He beckoned for them all to come into the room and sit down.

"No problem," Nick said, "But we'd like to know what is going on, it sounds pretty serious."

Wes nodded.

"It is," he said, "It's about my father."

Nick nodded, suddenly realising that it was odd that he hadn't seen Wes' father when they'd arrived; usually the man came out to greet him and ask how he was.

"I'm guessing you've noticed that he's not here," Wes said, surprising Nick the way he did every time he guessed what the younger boy was thinking.

"Yes, I had noticed that," Nick said, his mind racing through different reasons to explain the man's absence.

Wes sighed and leant forward slightly, silently indicating to the others that it was something that wasn't to be spoken about to anybody outside of their friendship circle.

"Listen, I'm just going to give it to you straight," Wes said, "My father has been arrested by the Emperor."

"What for?" Nick exclaimed, as David motioned for him to keep his voice down.

Jeff, meanwhile, looked shocked. He'd have never associated Wes with anything criminal, and from the way that Nick had spoken about his father, he'd assumed the same of him too.

"For treason," Wes spoke in a hushed whisper, "Apparently he was opposing the Emperor and plotting to overthrow him because he didn't think that he was fit to rule the Empire."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise; he had not been expecting Wes' father to be arrested, and he definitely was not expecting it to be for something so serious.

"But he wasn't plotting to do anything like that, was he?" Nick asked.

Wes shook his head.

"No, he wasn't," he replied, and then his expression clouded over, "But I am."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will see the reappearance of Sebastian - and a new character!**

**Historical points:**

**1. It is actually highly unlikely that Jeff's village would have had any sort of teacher, let alone a school, as most people in Ancient Rome could not read or write at all, but I wanted to put in some cute Nick comforting Jeff so I sort of changed that.**

**2. It actually would also have been impossible for David to be a freedman because the Emperor Augustus passed a law that decreed that a slave could only be freed once they were over the age of 30, and David is of a similar age to Wes, so I am ignoring that law in here because it fits better with the storyline.**

**3. Finally, there was actually a plot to overthrow Nero, but that occurred in 65AD, a year after this story is set, so that is not what is being talked about here.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought! Or to ask any questions about the story!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Right, here is Chapter 6, and I hope you enjoy it! **

**Also, this is completely unrelated to this story, but a friend and I are going to the G3 convention in the summer, and we're making a book to give to Riker that will consist of messages from fans, pictures and any artwork that people contribute. So if anyone wishes to input anything personally, then please PM me and I'll give you some more information. If you can't PM, then just leave a note in a review telling me what you'd like to do and I'm sure it can be sorted out. Thank you :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"But I am."

"What?" both Nick and David exclaimed simultaneously, while Jeff had been so stunned that he couldn't even get his thoughts straight. He didn't know Nick's friends all that well yet, but he'd imagined that if either of them had come up with anything like this, it would have been Sebastian, not Wes. Never in a thousand years would he have imagined that Wes would even consider something like that, and from the looks of things, neither Nick nor David had seen it coming either.

"I'm sorry, Wes, but you're doing what, exactly?" David asked, looking at his best friend as though his sanity had suddenly abandoned him.

"I'm doing what is right for this empire," Wes said, suddenly looking much older and wiser than his twenty years. "The Emperor is clearly not fit to rule us; he makes the decisions based on his own foolish whims and defies all the rulings and rights on justice to remove anyone that he deems an obstacle. He knows his popularity among both the people and the senators is flagging, why else does he make a big deal out of the shows that he puts on?"

"Are you mad?" Nick hissed at his friend, looking at the door nervously to check that there was no one who could overhear them. "This is treasonous talk, Wes. Do you want to be arrested as well?"

"You know I'm right, Nick," Wes continued regardless, "You know what the Emperor is doing goes against everything our country should stand for. This is the man who murdered his own mother over five years ago, and has killed a number of other people that he just dislikes. He kills those who oppose him to consolidate his power, what does this tell us? It tells us that there is no other way for him to stay in power, as he has no support within the people anymore. If only we could convince enough people and win enough support, then we could remove him from power or drive him away from Rome forever."

"I'm sorry, Wes," David said, "We? How are we going to do this?"

Wes leant back on the couch, clasping his hands together and thinking deeply.

"We'll have to do this in secret; we'll hold meetings in secret and hope that membership of this group grows through mutual support," he said finally, "A sort of secret society."

"Secret society?" Nick's eyes widened almost comically, "Have you lost your senses?"

"Yes, a secret society, Nick," Wes said evenly, "Would you like me to spell it out for you? And as to my mental health, I am perfectly well, thank you for asking." He looked so deadly serious that David actually snorted with laughter.

"Is everything alright, David?" Wes asked, looking at his friend, "Do you think that this is funny? I am actually serious here. I want my father back safe, and I feel that the only way to do that is to break him out of prison, and, in doing so, bring down the man that is corrupting our lives."

"Wait a second," David stopped laughing immediately, "We're not only overthrowing our ruler, we're also breaking into his prison as well?"

"I want my father back, David," Wes said, "He knows the Emperor's movements, he can help us."

"So, your father wasn't committing treason when he was arrested, but you want him to once he's been freed from jail?" Nick asked.

"Basically, yes," Wes said, "So, what are your answers?"

It didn't take more than a few seconds for David to come up with an answer.

"Well, I guess I have no choice," he said, "I'll be dragged into it whatever I say, so okay, I'll join you. Anyway, however much I doubt your sanity, it does sound kind of exciting."

"Thank you, David. Nick?"

Nick leaned back on the couch and sighed. This was dangerous, he knew that, but he'd always made a point of saying that everyone should be free, and if what Wes said was true, then the Emperor was slowly strangling the city until everyone did his bidding completely.

"Alright," he said, "I'm in."

"Now, Jeff, what about you?" Wes' voice startled the blonde boy out of his silence. He'd actually been so quiet that both Nick and David had almost forgotten that he was present.

Jeff had been listening to their conversation as though he was separated from them by a wall, but he could still see everything that occurred. He'd been so shocked by what Wes wanted to do, that he'd detached himself from the discussion so he could process all of the information that he'd received.

He'd been in Rome for all of three days. He still knew next to nothing about the city itself, and here he was, being asked if he wanted to participate in a plot that could change the face of the Empire if it worked; if didn't, though, Jeff had no idea what would happen to them.

"I understand if you don't want to join us, it is a very large commitment that we're asking for." Jeff realised that Wes was still addressing him, and he struggled to find a response.

He cast a frantic look at Nick, who was sitting next to him. Nick's eyes shone with some sort of eager light, and Jeff knew that if Nick was going to go ahead with this, then he couldn't let him go in alone.

Slowly, he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm in," he said in a half-whisper.

Wes smiled broadly.

"Good," he said, "Now, remember that this is not a game and there has to be absolute secrecy about this. Nick, I want you to deal with Sebastian, maybe he'll join our cause?"

Nick looked sceptical.

"I don't know," he said, "I always thought that he sided with his father on everything."

"Listen," Wes said, "We're giving Seb the chance to oppose authority and become a proper rebel, I'm pretty sure that's all he lives for. As for his father, he shares the same views as the Emperor, so no one, not even Seb, could possibly see the sense in any of his beliefs."

"Alright," Nick said, "Next time we see him, Jeff and I will ask him."

"Thank you," Wes said, "And remember, this happens with the utmost secrecy, and I will contact you when it is time for our first meeting."

* * *

Nick and Jeff did not have to wait long to confront Sebastian; in fact, they saw him only the day after their meeting with Wes.

"Why is it so important that we visit the baths?" Jeff asked Nick, as they were walking through the crowded city streets, "Your family have their own private baths in the house."

Jeff still couldn't believe that fact. Before he'd arrived in Rome, he'd only ever been to one other urbanised area, and that was barely a small town. They'd had one set of very small baths in the centre of the town, and everybody, those who could, used them. Jeff remembered asking his mother why they'd didn't just have baths in their own homes, and his mother had told him that only the very rich could afford to have their own baths. Now, Jeff realised just how wealthy Nick's family were; very few people in Rome had their own baths, and Nick was one of them.

Jeff's own family, along with the rest of their village, had bathed in the nearby lake, with no luxuries or comforts like Jeff was about to discover in the city, and that was where he'd learnt to swim.

"I know," Nick said, "But the point of the baths is not just to bathe, they're also for exercise. And you, Jeffrey, need exercise, whether you like it or not." He poked Jeff in the side, laughing as the blonde boy squeaked and then joined in with the laughter.

"Or what?" Jeff asked, grinning mischievously at Nick.

"Or you'll become old and fat," Nick replied, poking Jeff again.

Jeff laughed.

"I'm pretty sure that a lack of exercise doesn't make a person become old, Nicholas," he said, poking Nick back.

"Hey!" Nick said indignantly at the use of his full name, and he stuck his tongue out at Jeff childishly.

The pair dissolved into giggles in the middle of the street, earning themselves a disapprovingly look from a passing old man, which just served to make them laugh harder.

They were only a few hundred yards from the baths, and as they rounded the street corner, Jeff got his first look at the building itself. It was huge, much larger than the bath house that Jeff could remember from his childhood, but he did realise that these baths probably had to accommodate a large portion of the city's one million inhabitants.

They reached the door and were greeted by a slave, who directed them to the changing rooms. Just seeing another slave there made Jeff uneasy, as though he shouldn't have been there to relax; as though he should have been working himself. But no, Nick had assured him that he was not going to be a slave, and therefore, he shouldn't feel uneasy; should he?

"Right, Jeff," Nick said, turning to his friend as they removed their outer clothes in the changing room and left them in one of the wall compartments, "Where do you want to go first?"

"I don't mind," Jeff said, "Are you sure it's okay for me to come around with you? Or are slaves not supposed to be here?"

"Listen, Jeff," Nick said, "You know what I've said every time you ask this; you are not a slave. You are not a slave in anything but…"

"Law," Jeff said dejectedly.

"You heard what Wes said earlier," Nick lowered his voice, and checked that the changing room was empty before he spoke. "If everything goes to plan, the law will not count for anything anymore."

"No, I suppose not," Jeff shook his head, he went to speak further but another group of young men entered the changing room and they had to quickly stop their conversation.

"Alright," Nick said, once they were alone in the corridor, "Since this is your first time here, I'm going to give you the grand tour."

Jeff smiled broadly.

"Lead the way, then, sir," he said with a grin, sweeping his arm out so that Nick could proceed down the corridor.

Nick led Jeff into the cold room first, where there was a large plunge pool in the middle of the floor. Jeff tested the water with his foot, recoiling rapidly at the fact that it felt as though he had just touched an iceberg.

"You can't seriously expect me to want to go in there?" he said, turning to Nick with an incredulous look on his face.

Nick nodded.

"Of course," he said, suddenly taking a running jump and diving straight into the pool, splashing Jeff with the freezing water.

Jeff froze for a second, and then he dived into the water with Nick, re-emerging a moment later, his blonde hair plastered to his forehead. Nick started to laugh at his friend, only to find himself swallowing a large amount of water as Jeff got him back for splashing him first.

However, within a few minutes, both boys were shivering and had to quickly get out the cold room and run to the next room, where there was no water, but instead the entire room was heated itself.

Jeff was mesmerised by the fact that the walls themselves appeared to radiate their own heat; he had never encountered such an engineering feat as basic indoor heating. Nick watched his blonde friend as he walked about the room, running his hands around the walls as he went.

Eventually, Nick convinced Jeff to leave the room and go to the last pool in the warm room. The pool itself was just the right sort of temperature, and Jeff had got into it before Nick had even registered that he'd left his side.

Nick watched as Jeff lay on his back in the pool, and just allowed himself to float peacefully.

"Come in, Nicky!" Jeff called, his face lighting up as he saw Nick watching him happily, he sat up in the water and held his arms out to the brunette. "Come and float with me!"

"Alright," Nick said, coming to the edge of the water and getting in, "But I can't float like you do, Jeff."

"Sure you can," Jeff said, manoeuvring Nick so that he was lying down, "Now, just relax, but don't let your body fall further into the water."

Nick lay there for a moment, before he felt himself sinking, and Jeff's hand had found the middle of his back and was pushing him back up again. After a few more tries, the two boys had discovered that despite their best efforts, Nick just wasn't getting the hang of floating.

"Maybe next time," Jeff said, as they collected their clothes from the changing rooms.

Nick laughed and shook his head.

"I fear that I am a lost cause," he said, with a grin. "Anyway, there is somewhere else that I want to take you before we leave," he continued, changing the subject, "I promised you exercise, so you're going to get it."

He led a slightly confused Jeff out into the courtyard, where a number of other young men were either running races or taking turns throwing discus or javelins.

Nick and Jeff had just crossed to the opposite colonnades, when Nick suddenly stopped, placing a restraining hand on Jeff's arm. Jeff immediately halted his steps, wondering in panic whether they were suddenly in trouble or something; maybe someone had overheard their earlier conversation?

"Look, over there," Nick hissed, pointing to further down the courtyard to where two young men were talking.

"What?" Jeff asked in confusion, squinting at the two figures, "Wait, is that Sebastian?"

Nick nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. From their vantage point behind a column, both Nick and Jeff could see Sebastian as he laughed at something that the other man had said, but neither of them could see the other man's face; it was obscured by the shadows.

"I wonder who his friend is," Nick said, he turned to Jeff, and both of them momentarily took their attention away from the two figures. "Shall we go and surprise him?"

Jeff grinned and nodded, picturing Sebastian's face if they embarrassed him in front of another friend.

"Alright," Nick said, turning back to watch his friend again, "Wait, where have they gone?" Jeff whipped his head back around to where the two men had been previously, only to discover that Nick was right, both of them appeared to have completely disappeared.

"Good day, Nicholas," a very familiar voice interrupted them, "I hope you and young Jeffrey here are having fun being two of the worst spies on the planet."

Both boys spun around to find Sebastian behind them, lazily leaning on one of the columns and grinning smugly.

"How…?" Nick asked, effectively being shut up when Sebastian leaned over and placed a finger on his lips.

"Hush, Nicholas," he said, watching as Nick frowned, looking thoroughly not amused as he managed to go cross-eyed while looking at Sebastian's finger. "I'm hurt that you don't appreciate my superior knowledge and observation skills, of course I knew that you and Jeff were here, Jeff's hair is practically screaming for attention."

Jeff, who'd previously been giggling at Nick as he went cross-eyed, then went cross-eyed himself while trying to look up at his bright blonde fringe, and he raised a hand to his head almost protectively.

"And, I also know that you're wondering who my friend is," Sebastian continued, smirking as Nick opened and closed his mouth in a close resemblance to a fish. "Well, my dear friends," he said, waving his arm dramatically so that the other boy stepped out of the shadows and faced them, "This is…"

He was cut off by the other boy and Jeff speaking simultaneously.

"It's you."

* * *

**A/N: Yes, another cliffhanger. Any guesses as to who Sebastian's new friend is?**

**Also, some more of my many historical points:**

**1. Some Romans really did have their own baths in their own homes, but only the very very rich ones, and so by Nick's family having their own just shows how much money they have, and with money comes power.**

**2. Nick and Jeff's trip to the baths is actually highly inaccurate, I didn't want to go completely into depth with all the rooms, and it's also really hard to translate the Latin names for the baths into English so 'cold room' and 'warm room' are very vague. Also, it is highly unlikely that the baths would be as empty at they are here, but I just thought it would be nice for Niff to have some bonding time on their own without any strangers being there.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought, or you can ask me a question about the story or the history behind it! Thank you for reading! And please don't forget to PM if you want to be involved in the book for Riker!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Right, here's the seventh chapter, which clears up the nasty cliffhanger from last time :)**

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed - I have over 20 reviews so far and I am so pleased, especially considering this is my first story!**

**Also, the offer about the book for Riker still stands if anyone is interested.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"It's you."

Now it was Sebastian's turn to join Nick with the confused fish expression.

"What?" he cried, when he regained his speech, "You know each other? Well, that's one way to ruin my moment, I suppose."

Both Jeff and the other boy remained silent, just staring wide-eyed at each other.

Eventually, the other boy seemed to shake himself free of his shock in order to speak. He held out his hand to Jeff.

"I'd better introduce myself properly," he said, "My name's Hunter."

Jeff reached out with his own hand and took Hunter's offered one.

"Jeff," he replied, the surprise evident on his face. "And I guess that I owe you a thank you."

Hunter smiled warmly.

"Excuse me," Sebastian interrupted quickly, "But Nicky and me, over here, have no idea what you two are talking about. Which is surprising, because I thought Nick and Blondie knew _everything_ about each other."

Nick blushed violently.

"Wha…?" he spluttered, "Everything? Sebastian, really?"

Sebastian smirked.

"For once, I meant that innocently," he said, "But obviously not, little Nicky. Is there anything that you and Jeffy want to share?"

"No!" Nick exclaimed, "And stop making this about me and Jeff, I thought we were focussing on Jeff and Hunter?"

"Oooh," Sebastian grinned, "It's like that, is it?"

Nick groaned, and reached over to slap his friend, only to find that by the time his hand reached Seb's face, the taller boy was already clutching his cheek.

"Seriously!" Sebastian cried, wincing in pain, "What is wrong with you?"

"I didn't…" Nick began, only to look up and discover Hunter standing by Sebastian with his hand raised. "Oh."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Hunter said, "I just thought it was appropriate."

"Appropriate?" Sebastian cried, still rubbing his cheek.

"No worries," Nick said, grinning at Hunter as they both ignored Sebastian, "I would have done it otherwise."

"Sebastian, are you okay?" Jeff asked suddenly, looking in concern at the other boy, who was still recovering from the slap.

"Oh, finally someone acknowledges my presence!" Sebastian said, straightening up and removing his hand from his face, "I'm fine. It didn't hurt, much. I was just wondering whether anybody would actually show any sort of concern for me." He directed the last part at Nick and Hunter, who both just shrugged. "Clearly not, then."

"Okay," Sebastian clapped his hands together, "Back on topic: gossip. So, Hunter and Jeff, how do you know each other?"

"It's not really gossip," Jeff said quietly, "So do you think that we could go somewhere a little more private?"

"Sure," Nick said, glancing over at his blonde friend and starting to become slightly worried, for Jeff looked almost upset now. Slowly, Nick managed to understand what was happening. Jeff had never been to Rome before he'd met Nick, and therefore, Jeff must have met Hunter previously. But how and where, Nick had no idea, and, why was it upsetting his friend so much?

"My father rents a private room here," Sebastian said, "We'll go there."

While he and Hunter led the way, Nick trailed behind with Jeff. Slowly, he reached over and took the blonde's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"You know, if you don't want to, you don't have to remember it," he said.

Jeff shook his head.

"It's fine," he said quietly, giving Nick a grateful smile. He was glad that Nick could understand him, even when he didn't know the whole truth. Maybe, one day, Jeff would tell Nick everything that had happened to him, but today he was just going to explain some things; he didn't think he was ready emotionally to relive exactly what he had gone through.

Sebastian ushered them all into a small room in a complex adjacent to the baths, and motioned for them all to sit down on the chairs that were already positioned there.

"So, do begin," Sebastian invited either Hunter or Jeff to start talking.

"Well, I'll start," Hunter said, "My legion was travelling through the south of Italy recently; we had orders to take as much land as possible so that more Roman farmers could produce more food to be sent to the city. We had come across a small agricultural village, absolutely perfect for what we needed, except the locals weren't too enamoured by our ideas. It was pretty much to be expected. I mean, we were just arriving and asking them to hand over the control of their land and their way of producing enough food to survive. A few of us tried to convince the centurions in charge to change their tactics, negotiate with the people and not threaten them, but they wouldn't listen."

He nodded to Jeff, who then continued.

"In the end, they decided to take everything they could: the land, the livestock, and the people. I guess I was one of the lucky ones, they were going to kill me too, but Hunter saved me and convinced the other soldiers that I'd make a better slave than a corpse." He took a deep breath and clutched Nick's hand even tighter. "I owe you my life, Hunter, thank you."

"And I guess I should thank you too, Hunter," Nick added, "Otherwise Jeff wouldn't be here, so I'd never have met him, and that would have been awful." He was sure that he saw Sebastian making a heart symbol with his hands, but he ignored him, desperately hoping that Jeff hadn't seen it, but he didn't seem to have done.

"Just looking out for a fellow human being," Hunter said, "It's a shame that more people don't do that."

Jeff nodded gratefully, trying not to blush when he caught Sebastian making a heart symbol. He willed himself to have had a stroke of luck and for Nick to have not seen it. The other boy didn't react though, and Jeff felt relief wash over him.

"So, you're a soldier?" Nick asked Hunter, while also trying to change the subject away from the previous topic in case Jeff felt uncomfortable.

"Yes," Hunter nodded, "Well, until a few days ago, I was; I've just been promoted to the Praetorian Guard, I guess the city is my new home now."

Nick congratulated him on this honour, but in reality he had just realised the great potential that Hunter had to help their cause. He was a friend of Sebastian, and he'd helped Jeff out of the kindness of his heart; he seemed like the sort of person who wouldn't stand for the nonsense of an incompetent ruler. He was also a member of the Praetorian Guard, which meant that he would be constantly close to the Emperor, and could inform them of his movements. Oh, this was too good an opportunity to miss, and for once, Nick was prepared to take the risk and invite Hunter, as well as Sebastian, into their group.

"Listen," he took a deep breath and began, "Me and Jeff have something very important to tell…"

"I knew it!" Sebastian crowed, waving his arms in the air, while Hunter glared at him, Jeff ducked his head, and Nick groaned.

"Okay," he said, "I could have put that better. We have a proposition to make to you two. Wes' father has been arrested for treason by the Emperor and…Sebastian, don't interrupt me, go and see Wes if you want the full story." The other boy frowned and quickly closed his mouth. "Well, basically, Wes wants his father back, and, in doing so, he wants to change the way that this country is run. He feels that the Emperor is becoming unfit to rule, and that his methods are cruel and inhumane; in short, Wes wants to start a secret society for those who support this cause. I'm asking if you two wish to join us."

Nick's speech was met with silence from both Hunter and Sebastian, and he began to worry that he should have just kept his mouth shut. His mind considered the possibilities of what might happen if he'd completely misjudged everything. If Sebastian and Hunter ever turned them in, then both he and Jeff would be forced to face whatever was judged for them.

Nick knew he'd probably escape the vas majority of his punishment, his father would just buy his freedom to save his family, but Jeff…Nick's father would just leave him; he'd blame everything on Jeff. And Nick couldn't let that happen; he'd rather defend and save Jeff, than worry about his own life.

To his left, Jeff was wondering the same thing. What if it turned out that both Sebastian and Hunter were loyal supporters of the Emperor? What if they informed on them? What if…?

No, Jeff would not think of that, because then they'd separate him and Nick; they'd take Nick away from him. He couldn't let that happen. If he was honest with himself, he was more worried about the consequences for Nick, rather than himself. He was just a slave, Nick was the son of one of the most powerful men in Rome, what sort of fallout would that cause for him?

"A secret society, you say?" Hunter eventually spoke, startling both Nick and Jeff back into the present, "To overthrow the Emperor?"

"Yeah," Nick said slowly and carefully, trying to gauge Hunter's reaction.

"Well, I agree with your motives," Hunter said, "In my opinion, the Emperor is slowly going insane, especially with the number of people that he appears to kill for fun, so I'm going to say yes. Tell your friend Wes that he's gained himself one more supporter. Do you plan to meet anywhere?"

Nick nodded.

"In secret, whenever Wes organises a meeting, we'll contact you when there is one," he said, "And thank you, we need all of the help we can if we are to get anywhere with this."

Hunter nodded.

"And Seb?" Nick asked, turning to his other friend.

"Oh, me?" Sebastian said, looking surprised, as though Nick had startled him out his thoughts.

"No, not you," Nick replied sarcastically, as Sebastian shrugged, "Of course you! How many other Sebastians around here, are there?" Sebastian just shrugged again, clearly not paying much attention to what Nick was saying. "I would have said you were thinking about something," Nick continued, "And then I was like, nah, it's Sebastian."

"True," Seb replied, nodding without even hearing what Nick had been saying, while Hunter and Jeff laughed quietly. "Hang on, wait, what did you say?"

"I'm trying to talk to you," Nick said, "About Wes' plans for a secret society. Are you going to join us or not?"

"Oh, yeah sure, I'm in," Sebastian said, "I was already dreaming up the look on my father's face if he knew that I was going against everything he's ever stood for."

Nick breathed a sigh relief.

"Good," he said, "I was slightly worried about whether you'd agree to this or not. You know, I wasn't sure how you felt about your father and his views."

Sebastian snorted with laughter.

"Nicky-boy," he said with a smirk, "You're giving me the chance to oppose authority and my father to become a proper rebel, that's practically all I live for!"

"That's exactly what Wes said," Nick replied, realising that Sebastian had practically echoed Wes' words from the day before; it was bordering on creepy how similar it was.

"He did?"

"Yeah, you know Wes," Nick explained, "He knows everything, I swear! I don't think anyone could hide anything from him, he'd see through them in a moment!"

The smirk fell from Sebastian's face in an instant and he gulped, desperately hoping that Wes didn't know everything.

* * *

It was the day after their encounter with Sebastian and Hunter, and Nick and Jeff were back to just sitting together in Nick's room, enjoying each other's company. Nick had promised to teach Jeff how to read and write, and so they'd started with some basics; Nick had given Jeff a copy of the alphabet, and Jeff was slowly attempting to repeatedly copy the first few letters onto a wax tablet.

Jeff had just finished copying the letter 'F' for the sixth time, when Nick suddenly got up.

"I'm just going to get us both a drink," he said, "I'll be back in second."

Jeff nodded, as Nick smiled back at him and then left the room, leaving Jeff alone for a bit.

Jeff put down the stylus he was using, and leant back against Nick's bed, his hand was cramping badly from the unfamiliar sensation of writing, but he was determined to continue and succeed with it. He was doing this for Nick, he decided, he wanted to make Nick proud of him.

Wait. He'd thought that he'd been doing these lessons so that he would have an education, but why was he bringing Nick into this now? Whether he succeeded or failed would not affect Nick. Nick had just agreed to help him because he wanted to help Jeff; he didn't do it because it was his duty. So why was this now all for Nick?

Jeff considered this thought for a while, but he couldn't come up with a proper answer. His mind gave him random ideas, such as that if he learnt something new, then Nick would smile, and Nick's smile made Jeff happy; not to mention how cute Nick looked when he smiled.

Cute? Jeff wondered why his subconscious had chosen that word in particular. Maybe it was because that was how he viewed Nick now. He realised that he'd been noticing more things about his best friend recently; like how whenever he talked about his poems or his dreams, his eyes would light up with a determined fire, and whenever he saw Jeff, he'd give him a blinding smile that he appeared to reserve just for him.

Actually, was Jeff making that up? Was he imagining that Nick treated him differently to everyone else? As though he was someone special.

But Nick had always made him feel special, as though Jeff was the other half of his being. Yes, that was it, Jeff was Nick's equal; they completed each other.

Jeff had never felt this way about anybody before, granted, he'd never really had any friends before, but he knew that this connection was something different and unique; something that only he and Nick would ever share.

But, despite all of these thoughts that were floating around in his head, he still had not answered the biggest question of them all.

Why did he suddenly feel like this towards Nick?

And that's when the revelation hit him with such force that he actually gasped aloud.

He had feelings for Nick. Yes, those sorts of feelings.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it!**

**Just a few historical points to clear anything up:**

**1. The Praetorian Guard were a legion of elite soldiers that served as the personal bodyguard for each of the Roman Emperors. However, although the Emperor Augustus created them to be fiercely loyal to each ruler, they did end up becoming synonymous with conspiracy, disloyalty and assassination. At the point that this story is set, 64AD, the Praetorian Guard had only assassinated one Emperor, Caligula, but there were more occurrences like this that would follow in later years, and the Praetorian Guard became very important for political power until they were disbanded by the Emperor Constantine in 312AD. **

**2. Also, Jeff is writing with a wax tablet and stylus, which is typically the equipment used by Roman children when learning to write, as it did not ruin expensive parchment if they made mistakes, because, on a wax tablet, the wax could be smoothed over to remove anything that was previously written.**

**Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions about the story or the history behind it, then please just ask! Please review and tell me what you thought :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, so here's Chapter 8! I can't believe that I've managed to get this far, and also, thank you again to everyone who has reviewed or followed or favourited - it means so much to me :)**

**There's a bit of a Jeff angst warning for this chapter, I just thought I should give you a heads up about that!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

* * *

Nick had grabbed two drinks for both him and Jeff, and then decided to busy himself by trying to find something to eat for the two of them as well.

He was incredibly proud of Jeff for being so determined to learn to read and write; and he was overjoyed that he had been able to help the other boy so much.

Actually, the more he thought about it, the more Nick was convinced that he wouldn't have acted quite the same way with anyone else. Yes, he believed in helping others, but he wasn't sure that he would have been so eager if it had been anyone other than Jeff.

There was just something about Jeff that drew Nick in. The other boy constantly surprised him as he became more confident in himself, and Nick hoped that he would continue to surprise him for a long time. Jeff was different to Nick's other friends, Nick had always known that, but suddenly, Nick was seeing just how different their relationship was.

He was constantly noticing new things about the other boy that he'd never even considered in another friend. He noticed how, when Jeff was nervous, he played with his hair; and how whenever he was excited, he'd bounce around like a hyperactive rabbit and just look so happy all of the time.

In Nick's eyes, Jeff really was remarkable. The poor boy had been through so much in his life, and although Nick did not know all of the details, he could hazard a few guesses.

If Nick was honest with himself, Jeff made him just want to pick the blonde up and run away with him to shelter him from the horrors of reality. Except, that wasn't actually practical, and Nick thought that Jeff might have something to say if he suddenly picked him up.

Anyway, what had brought on these sudden feelings towards Jeff? Nick knew they had a very close friendship, but that was all this was about, wasn't it? It was about their friendship only, right?

And then, he knew why, his realisation coming to him almost as quickly as it had done to Jeff. He wanted so much more than friendship from Jeff; he wanted something that went so much deeper. That was why he'd never felt that way before; it was why his heart beat faster every time Jeff so much as glanced at him.

"I really like Jeff," he whispered to himself, "I really, really like Jeff."

He groaned and leant his head back on the cool wall behind him.

Sebastian was going to love this.

* * *

A few hours later, both Nick and Jeff found themselves outside in one of Rome's less crowded streets, having decided that they could do with some fresh air after sitting inside for a while. They talked as they went, neither letting on that anything was different between the two of them, and if the other noticed that fact, then they didn't mention it.

At one point, Nick looked up at the sky and frowned.

"It looks like it's going to rain," he said, just as the first few raindrops started to fall around them. Nick surveyed the street they were in. "We're too far from the house to get back before it starts pouring." Just as he spoke, the rain became a lot heavier, a loud crack of thunder echoed overhead.

"We can't stay out here," Jeff said, "Where do we go?"

"I don't know," Nick replied, hurrying over to one of the buildings at one side of the street. He knocked hurriedly on the door, hoping that it might be opened by somebody who would either give them shelter or direct them to someone who could.

The door remained unanswered, and so Nick tried knocking even harder, until the door flew open all by itself.

"It wasn't even locked," he said, motioning for Jeff to follow him as he went inside.

The interior of the building was almost completely bare, with only a large couch in the centre of the first room. There was a door leading off into the back, but no upper level.

"Hello?" Nick called out, already suspecting that the building was abandoned. His call did nothing but echo around the room, so he shrugged and decided not to explore further.

"Do you think we can stay here for a bit?" Jeff asked, casting a worried eye around the room.

"I suppose so," Nick said, "We're not doing any harm. We're just trying to save ourselves from catching a chill outside."

Jeff nodded, and then went to join Nick, who was already making himself comfortable on the couch.

"I wonder what or who made the gods angry this time," Nick mused, as more thunder reverberated around the room.

"The Emperor?" Jeff suggested.

Nick shook his head.

"Nah," he grinned, "If it was, it would be constantly thundering!"

Jeff laughed.

"You have a point," he said, "Maybe it's because of Sebastian?"

"Maybe," Nick said, smiling a little, "Goodness knows what he's going to get up to with Hunter!"

Jeff blushed at the thought, looking at Nick with a slightly shocked expression on his face.

"Nick!" he hissed, "You're becoming as bad as Sebastian himself!"

"Oh, come on, Jeffy," Nick laughed, poking Jeff in the ribs, "I'm just getting him back for all the times he's teased me. So, what do you say? Him and Hunter; friends or more than friends?"

Slowly, Jeff smiled; it wouldn't hurt to give Sebastian a taste of his own medicine. And Jeff had always been reasonably good at reading people, he'd had plenty of time just to observe others when he was younger, and, therefore, he thought he could hazard a guess at the situation between Hunter and Sebastian.

"At the moment, I think they're just friends," he said, watching Nick's face fall as he thought that Jeff wasn't going to agree with him, "But I reckon that Sebastian's got his eye on Hunter, but Hunter himself is completely oblivious."

"So," Nick said mischievously, "It wouldn't hurt to give them a nudge in the right direction, would it?"

Jeff laughed.

"Don't go interfering too much," he said.

Nick pouted, and looked up at Jeff with big eyes.

"Please, Jeffy," he whined, "I'm just having a bit of fun. Join in with me?"

"What are you? Four?" Jeff had to laugh; he was having a hard time resisting Nick when he just looked so adorable, "Alright, I give in. You can tease Sebastian and Hunter all you want."

Nick clapped his hands together, and then burst out laughing.

"Did I really just ask you for permission to tease Hunter and Sebastian?" he asked, as Jeff nodded and then joined in with the laughter.

After a while, their laughing ceased, and they just sat in a comfortable silence until Jeff spoke up.

"Nicky," he said quietly, turning to look at his friend, "I never told you exactly what happened to my family."

"No, you didn't," Nick said, "And you don't have to if it's too painful to remember."

Jeff shook his head defiantly.

"No, I want to tell you," he said, "Because it's reality, and I want to face it properly; I _need_ to face it."

Nick nodded encouragingly, urging Jeff on, while not actually saying anything.

"I used to live in a village in the south," Jeff began, "The only jobs around there were ones in agriculture, and my family didn't exactly have much money, but we were happy. There was me, my parents, and my older brother, Marcus; I suppose I was always the odd one out. I used to look up to Marcus so much, he was everything I ever wanted to be, but everything I was never going to be; he was brave, smart, popular. I always used to tag along when he and his friends were playing together. They all hated me, I'm sure, but it never seemed to bother me all that much. I guess I was just desperate to enjoy some sort of company. Everyone used to think I was weird, I was always quiet and on my own, so they just assumed that I didn't like other people. I remember once, when I was about ten, my brother and his friends were trying to impress some girls who were travelling through the village to the next town, and one of the girls said I was sort of cute. My brother thought this was hilarious, and dared her to kiss me, which she did. I hated it. I ran away crying in the end, wondering whether there was anything worse than kissed by a strange girl; I guess I've learnt now that some things are so much worse, but at the time it was awful."

Jeff paused to laugh ironically.

"Well," he continued, "By running away, I didn't help my cause. After that, all of the other children avoided me like the plague, as though there was something wrong with me because I didn't want to kiss a girl. It's funny, I suppose, but I think my brother was actually jealous of me because of it; none of the other girls so much as spoke to him properly. I guess that prejudiced him against me in the end; he told my father what had happened, I don't know what he hoped to gain, because my father told him that I could do what I wanted, and that I didn't have like girls, even if the other boys did."

"Your parents sound wonderful," Nick said quietly, feeling slightly envious because his parents rarely cared about anything he did.

Jeff nodded, sniffing slightly as tears started to well up.

"They were," he said, "And I loved them so much."

"You don't have to go on with this story," Nick said, "Not if you don't want to."

"I want to," Jeff said, "I really do." He took a deep breath. "You've heard from Hunter, how the soldiers arrived to take our lands. At first, lots of people were optimistic; they wondered whether we could gain from their propositions. But I always knew that it wouldn't end well. My father held the same views as me, he was always telling my mother that there was trouble ahead for us, and he took the precaution of arming as many people as possible, with weapons like pitchforks and cooking knives. In the end, we were proved correct, the negotiations turned ugly, and, early one morning, the soldiers came down from their camp and forced us out of our homes. They killed…"

Jeff trailed away as tears started to roll down his face. Nick reached over and took both of Jeff's hands in his own, reassuring Jeff that he was there for him.

"They killed…" Jeff began again shakily, "They killed all the really young and really old first; the ones that either couldn't leave their houses, or just wouldn't stop crying. I was so scared at that point; I thought that nothing could get worse than it already was. But then one of the men gave some sort of signal, and suddenly everyone was fighting back. No one in our village was a match for the soldiers, it was a slaughter. My father yelled at my mother to run for safety, and she told me to go with her. We started running, but my brother just screamed at me for being a coward, for not fighting back, and so I…" Jeff hit the couch beneath him violently. "…I hesitated. If I hadn't hesitated, even for those few seconds, my mother would have kept on running, and wouldn't have been killed. I know it; she would have made it to the safety of the woods. We knew those woods better than any of the soldiers, my mother could have survived, but she died because I'm such a coward. I'm an utter coward, because I didn't even die fighting for our freedom. I was left standing in the middle of this massacre, and I didn't even try to help; it was like I was frozen in place and I couldn't even move. I watched my brother die first. He was begging for mercy by the end, and I think he was begging for my help, but everything seemed muted around me, as though I wasn't really there. My father was killed as well, just as he died, he turned and looked me in the eye; he didn't even look disappointed in me, he just seemed to look straight through me, as though he was so disgusted at the fact that I hadn't done anything to help anyone, that he couldn't bear to acknowledge me properly."

Jeff stopped for a moment to sob even harder. He wiped his tears away fiercely so that he could continue his story.

"I was the last one left. Everyone else in my village was dead. Imagine that, being the only one left alive, but knowing that you deserved to be dead more than anyone else. Others had died fighting bravely or tending to the wounded; yet I survived because I did nothing. Nothing at all; apart from cause my mother's death, and leave my father and brother to die. I would have been killed too, but Hunter managed to convince the other soldiers just to sell me to a local slave trader. I've tried to forget all of this; I'm trying to move on, but sometimes I can't because I feel so guilty. I'm such a coward, Nicky, I'm a coward."

Jeff stopped talking and broke down in tears.

"You're not a coward, Jeffy," Nick said soothingly, pulling Jeff into a hug and stroking the blonde's hair rhythmically.

"I am," Jeff said forcefully, "If it wasn't for me they might be alive. I miss them so much, Marcus as well, even though he was never kind to me." He buried his face into Nick's shoulder as his sobs echoed around the room.

"Don't blame yourself, Jeffy," Nick said, in the same soothing tone as before, "There's nothing you could have done. If you'd fought back, they would have killed you instantly. There is nothing you could have done against those soldiers, Jeff. They're trained to fight and kill, it's what they do. It's not what you do. And you'll never be a coward, Jeff, at least, never to me. You're extremely brave for dealing with everything and for coping so well. You're so brave, Jeffy, so, so brave."

They sat together like that until the rain stopped; Nick holding Jeff protectively, and Jeff clinging to Nick as though his life depended on it. Eventually, when they finally knew that they had to move and get home, they decided that they'd keep this place as their secret, and go there whenever they wanted to speak in private or get away from Nick's parents.

They walked home in silence. Jeff's eyes were still red from crying, and Nick kept hold of the other boy's hand.

They both needed each other so much.

* * *

"I call this first meeting of our society to order," Wes said, standing up at the head of the table, "For those who haven't met them yet, we have Kurt and Blaine joining us." The two boys in question waved at the sound of their names. "Blaine's father is a senator, while Kurt's father is a…Kurt, sorry, what is it that your father does, again?"

"He fixes carts," Kurt answered.

"Thank you," Wes nodded, and then continued with his speech, "Okay, how do I start this?"

He paused for a moment, twisting the gavel in his hands over and over.

"David," he said, nudging his friend, "What is the point of you giving me this gavel?"

"I thought it would look good," David shrugged, "But if I'm honest, I have no idea really."

"Well, it's too quiet to use if anyone is talking really loudly," Wes said, "And I look slightly ridiculous with it. In fact, the only thing it's good for is this." He leaned over and hit Sebastian on the back of the head with it.

Sebastian, who clearly hadn't been paying any attention to what Wes had been saying previously, yelped loudly and cast an accusing eye around the table.

"Who was that?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Wes shrugged, as everyone else tried to hide their laughter.

"I have no idea, Sebastian," Wes said, "Maybe if you started paying attention, then you'd know these things."

Sebastian frowned and continued to rub his head.

"At least I haven't been slapped yet," he mused.

"Oh, I shouldn't think that novelty will last long," Nick laughed, as everyone else around the table snickered loudly.

"Okay, first order of business," Wes decided, "We need a name."

"I've already given you a name," Sebastian cut in, "So why do we need another one?"

Wes sighed loudly.

"Sebastian, 'The Secret Society for Freeing Wes' Father and Taking Down the Emperor At The Same Time', is not a good enough name," he said, "One, it's ridiculously long; and two, we need something that won't make people suspicious, if we use that one, we'll have revealed our entire purpose in one sentence!"

Sebastian shrugged.

"I thought it was a good name," he said sulkily, as Hunter reached over and rubbed his arm sympathetically.

"So, any name suggestions?" Wes asked, ignoring Sebastian.

There was a low murmur around the table, until David suddenly spoke up:

"What about 'The Warblers'?"

* * *

**A/N: So, the Warblers have been formed! And also, Wes isn't going to become gavel obsessed in this and run away with his gavel, or anything like that, he's already found that it only has one use, and that's hitting Sebastian.**

**Here are some more of those historical points, which I'm pretty sure are annoying people by now:**

**1. The Romans believed that thunder and rain was caused by Jupiter, the King of the Gods, and also the god of thunder and the sky, so a particularly violent storm could be interpreted as Jupiter punishing people for their sins or wrongdoings. One famous example of Roman belief that the gods were punishing them, was in Pompeii in 79AD, when they believed that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius had been caused by the anger of the gods, in particular, Vulcan, the god of fire.**

**2. The Romans didn't actually have gavels, so this idea of Wes having one is highly inaccurate, especially since they were never really referenced until the Middle Ages, at the very earliest, in England. The closest the Romans had to a gavel was a ****_fasces_****, a bundle of wooden rods with an axe protruding, which symbolised a magistrate's power and jurisdiction. I have included the gavel in this story, just because of the symbolism with Wes, and because it was funny.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought, or ask any questions about the story or the history behind it :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, here goes Chapter 9! There's some more Sebastian being Sebastian in here, so I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story so far :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

* * *

"What about 'The Warblers'?"

At the sound of David's voice, everyone else stopped talking and there was a short silence.

"Actually, that's a really good idea, David," Wes said, "Where did that come from?"

David considered the question for a while, but couldn't really come to a conclusion.

"I'm not really sure," he said, "But it seemed to fit for us. Then again, it might just have been because I was thinking about how loud you were singing when we went to the baths yesterday, your rendition of…"

"Alright, David, I think we get the idea," Wes interrupted quickly, before his friend began an entire critical analysis of his performance, "So, our second order of business: our actual purpose for being here. As you all know, my father has been wrongfully arrested for a crime that he has not committed…"

"But you have," Sebastian chipped in unhelpfully, attempting to cover his statement with a cough when Wes turned and glared at him.

"As I was saying," Wes continued, "Basically, I would like him back, and in doing so, as I'm sure you all know, I wish to do something about the Emperor. Our ruler is becoming corrupt, weak, and increasingly obsessed with bloodshed. This is not the way that an effective and just ruler should act; he should be driven by his loyalty to his people, by the want of bettering their lives instead of his. Now, this is a very dangerous mission, and so must be handled with the uttermost delicacy and secrecy; there is not to be a word of this breathed outside of these walls, unless for a good enough reason."

He paused, and allowed David to pass him a sheet of parchment.

"Okay, I want everybody here to sign this sheet with their name; it's basically a contract for your silence. If any of you break this contract, we will not hesitate in using drastic measures."

There was a low muttering of agreement, while Jeff turned to Nick with wide eyes.

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" he asked, "When did Wes and David become so violent?"

Nick laughed a little.

"I think Wes is enjoying this position of power a little too much," he said, "And anyway, this is very dangerous."

At last, the sheet made its way to Jeff, who stared at it blankly for a while.

"Nicky," he hissed, nudging the brunette next to him, "What do I do?"

"Sign your name," Nick said, "You can remember how to do that, right? We practised it this morning."

Jeff nodded slowly, reaching for the pen and clasping it awkwardly in his right hand. Very carefully, he inscribed the four letters of his name onto the parchment, and once he had done it successfully, he turned to Nick with a blinding smile on his face.

"Well done," Nick said, grinning back at Jeff, while he quickly scribbled his own name down.

Jeff reached under the table, and grasped Nick's hand.

"Thank you," he said almost shyly, looking up at Nick through his fringe. Nick squeezed Jeff's hand tightly.

"Anytime, Jeff," Nick said. "Anytime or anything for you," he added in his own head, looking down at their intertwined fingers and wishing for more.

"So, first plans," Wes' voice brought both boys away from their fantasies and back into the real world, "I suppose we should start with freeing my father?"

He paused as David started to take note.

"Now, I'm going to open this up to all of you," Wes said, "I need someone to find out exactly where my father is being held; there's no point breaking into the palace, only to discover that my father isn't there."

"I could do that," Sebastian piped up, "I'm quite often at the palace with my father, so I could always try and find out some information."

Wes nodded.

"Thank you, Sebastian, for a surprisingly sensible suggestion."

Sebastian, who was at first looking rather smug at the praise, then frowned and looked mildly offended.

"However, how are you going to get into secured areas of the palace?" Wes asked.

"I'm sure Hunter will help me, won't you, Hunt?" Sebastian answered almost too quickly.

From the other side of the table, Nick nudged Jeff.

"What?" Jeff asked, scrunching his face up in confusion; the expression that Nick thought always made the blonde look cute.

"Sebastian and Hunter, that's what," Nick said, "Did you not hear the way that the first person that Seb thought of was Hunter. And, he's already got a nickname for him!"

"Really?" Jeff asked, still looking as though he didn't fully understand where Nick was going with his suggestions.

"Yeah, nobody else calls Hunter, 'Hunt', do they?"

Slowly Jeff started to smile.

"I suppose not," he said, "And Hunter hasn't even batted an eyelid, he really does not have a clue, does he?"

Nick shook his head as he stifled a giggle. They both still managed to catch Wes' attention though.

"Niff, be quiet!" the older boy snapped, pointing at them with the gavel.

Both Nick and Jeff jumped, eventually giving Wes their full attention, while the rest of the table erupted into laughter.

"What's a 'Niff'?" Nick asked, trying and failing to come to a logical conclusion within his own head.

"A 'Niff', dear Nicky," Sebastian explained, leaning forward as he took over from Wes, and spoke to Nick as though he was a small child, "Is the collective noun for you and Blondie. It requires less effort to say 'Niff', than it does to keep saying 'Nick and Jeff'. Anyway, there's no point separating your names, we're all pretty sure that if we see one of you without the other from now onwards, it's an immediate cause for concern."

"Oh, very funny, Sebastian," Nick retorted, rolling his eyes at his friend, "That's just ridiculous, I mean, Jeff's blushing with embarrassment now." He suddenly transferred the attention to the blonde next him, who quickly ducked his head to hide the fact that he'd gone really red.

Sebastian smirked, and leant back in his chair lazily.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure that he's definitely blushing because of Niff," he said, "I have no doubt about that at all."

"Okay, Seb," Wes said, suddenly, "That's enough. This meeting is over until next time." He banged the gavel once, and then handed it to David, having no further use for it, once everyone started talking and Sebastian moved himself out of arm's reach.

As amusing as it was watching Nick and Jeff get embarrassed over each other, Wes really did not need Sebastian spoiling it for them; they'd get together in their own time without Sebastian's help. It was that obvious. Sebastian had been right about Niff being a collective noun though; Wes was convinced that Nick and Jeff were just the two halves of the same being.

"Hey, Jeff," Nick said, "The boy over there is Thad." He pointed to a small, dark-haired boy, who was deep in a conversation with Kurt and Blaine. "He's the gladiator I was telling you about."

Jeff frowned.

"He's awfully small to be a gladiator, isn't he?" he asked, rather too loudly.

"I do have ears, you know," the boy in question replied, walking over to confront Nick and Jeff, "And yes, I am small, but I make up for it in other ways."

"I'll bet you do." Sebastian's reply came from halfway across the room; no one had even known that he was listening.

"And you know what, Blondie," Thad continued, ignoring Sebastian and still looking displeased with Jeff, "Your hair is completely unnatural, nobody should have that bright blonde hair. Any kids that you and Nick have are going to come out with your hair blinding everyone, and Nick's nose completely killing any hope they have of looking normal."

Both Nick and Jeff started spluttering uncontrollably.

"We're not having kids," Jeff managed to get out.

"I don't think it's possible, Thad," Nick added.

Thad shrugged and walked off, pausing for a moment to slap Sebastian, before continuing back to his conversation with Kurt and Blaine.

"Well, there goes Sebastian wonderful attempt at a record for not being slapped," Nick commented, "I knew that wouldn't last long."

"You'd think he'd be immune to it by now, wouldn't you?" Jeff replied.

"Well, I imagine getting slapped by a gladiator probably hurts more," Nick said. "Hey, Jeff, is there something wrong with my nose?"

Jeff shook his head.

"Nah, I like your nose," he answered quickly, and began to blush when he had realised what he'd said.

"Thanks," Nick said gratefully, doing an internal victory dance that Jeff had said that he liked something about him; albeit, it was only his nose, but it was definitely progress.

* * *

"Nicholas!"

Nick looked up quickly, having been startled by the harsh sound of his mother's voice.

"Great," he muttered to Jeff, who was sitting at the end of his bed, desperately attempting to decipher the basic nouns that Nick had written out for him. "I wonder what she wants now."

"Go on," Jeff said, motioning for Nick to go to his mother, "It might not be completely bad."

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Trust you to see the positives in everything," he said, "This is my mother that we're talking about."

"I'm just trying to help," Jeff pouted, looking slightly offended that Nick didn't seem to appreciate that fact.

"I know, Jeff," Nick sighed, "But she always finds something to moan at me for, or to stop me from being in a good mood." He got off the bed and patted Jeff's arm. "But thank you, anyway."

"Anytime," Jeff said, giving Nick a quick smile before the brunette disappeared out of the door.

* * *

"Mother. Father." Nick acknowledged both his parents as he entered the dining room.

"Good afternoon, Nicholas," his father replied, "I trust you've been spending your day doing something productive?"

"Of course," Nick nodded, wondering whether his parents would count teaching Jeff how to read as something productive.

"Well," his father began, taking a deep breath, and giving Nick the impression that he was about to say something very important, "The Emperor has announced that he is making a trip to the Bay of Naples, and we've been invited to join him. Bear this in mind, Nicholas, this is a very high honour, and so, your mother and I have accepted for ourselves and on your behalf as well. I doubt that this would be an occasion that you'd want to miss, especially since you'll be old enough to start your own political career soon."

"Er, yes, Father," Nick replied hastily, "Of course, I wouldn't dare miss it."

In his mind, Nick couldn't think of anything worse than having to spend time away from his friends, and with the Emperor and his parents instead. Nor did he want to think about the possibility of his father pushing him into a room full of senators, and demanding that he talk to them about politics which he didn't even understand. What if it was just a large political meeting in which Nick would be forced to agree with every single policy or ideal that the Emperor put forward?

"So, what exactly is the purpose of this trip?" Nick asked tentatively, watching his mother as she frowned slightly, quickly assuming that he might be answering back to his father.

"Ah, now that, my boy, is a secret," Nick's father replied, he was completely oblivious to his wife's reaction, and was clearly feeling pleased that his son was showing some sort of interest in the trip. "The Emperor is keeping it a surprise for those outside of the senatorial circle. He wants it to have the maximum impact on everyone."

"Not even I know," Nick's mother said from the other couch. She wasn't really trying to integrate herself into the conversation; she was just stating the fact that she didn't know and wasn't pleased about it. From her tone of voice, Nick could tell that she definitely thought that she _should_ have known.

Nick's father, however, ignored her.

"I expect you to bring that slave boy of yours," he said, addressing Nick, "He'll be useful for helping you with carrying luggage, and also accompanying you around Naples."

Nick nodded, desperately restraining himself from politely informing his father that the 'slave boy', as he put it, had a name, and his name was Jeff. Okay, the more Nick thought about it, the more 'polite' seemed like the wrong word; maybe 'angrily yell' was a better phrase?

"Yes, Father," he said dutifully, "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow evening," Nick's father replied, nonchalantly; as though he hadn't just left his son minimal time to prepare for their trip. "Don't worry about packing; I'm sure that your slave will find time to do that."

"Thank you, Father," Nick nodded at his father once, and then his mother, before turning and exiting the room as fast as possible.

* * *

"I call this second meeting of The Warblers to order," Wes said, reaching out with the gavel and tapping Sebastian on the back of the head with it.

"Seriously? What is your problem?" Sebastian asked in annoyance, "You're supposed to hit that on the table, not my head!"

Wes shrugged.

"It's supposed to make everyone be quiet," he explained, "You were the only one talking, so why should I deafen everyone by hitting it really hard on the table?"

"You're not going to deafen anyone by…"

Wes reached out and hit Sebastian again.

"As I think I made clear before," he said, "Be quiet."

Sebastian huffed, but didn't reply.

"Wes, why are we having a second meeting only one day after our last?" one of the other boys, Trent, asked. "There can't have been any major developments yet, can there?"

"Okay, as I'm sure most of you are thinking the same thing as Trent, I'll quickly explain the situation," Wes began, "Nick and Jeff…"

"Niff," Sebastian input unhelpfully.

"Nick and Jeff," Wes started again, raising his voice so that Sebastian was effectively drowned out, "Have asked me to call this meeting because Nick's father has just announced that they are travelling with the Emperor to Naples tomorrow evening."

"To Naples?" Blaine asked, "What for?"

"We don't know," Nick replied before Wes could speak, "It's supposedly a surprise event that the Emperor wishes to impress everyone with. It could be anything."

"So, Nick and Jeff, I'm giving you the task of keeping an eye out on the Emperor while you are in Naples," Wes decided, "We'd like a full report when you return."

"Certainly," Nick nodded, and Jeff copied him.

"I can help you," Sebastian announced suddenly, "I'm going to Naples too."

"Are you?" Wes asked, "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"I assumed that you would all realise that," Sebastian said, "I mean, my father is…"

"Alright, Sebastian," Wes stopped his friend, "We know who your father is, and just how powerful he is." He paused. "Actually, Seb, while we're on the subject of you, have you got any more information on the whereabouts of my father?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"Sadly not," he said, "I went down into those dungeons with Hunter, earlier today, but we both miscalculated how large they were and we almost got lost."

Wes nodded, and went to speak again, but Jeff got there first.

"I guess if Sebastian's ever lost, there's at least one _hunter_ that he'll want to find him."

At first, there was stunned silence, as everyone around the table realised that Jeff had not only spoken aloud of his own free will, but he'd also made a joke at Sebastian and Hunter's expense. And then everyone burst out laughing.

"Nice one," Nick said, patting Jeff on the back approvingly, as the blonde grinned at the attention he was suddenly getting.

Sebastian blushed violently at the joke, and then regained control over himself.

"Good one, Jeff," he smirked, "But we all know that you're just waiting to _nick_ something, don't we?"

Everyone laughed again, as Nick and Jeff both ducked their heads in embarrassment. Jeff realised he probably should have anticipated some sort of joke like that from Sebastian, but did he have to make it so obvious to Nick? Jeff didn't want to make anything awkward between the two of them. But then again, Nick knew what Sebastian was like, and probably wouldn't take anything he said particularly seriously; at least, Jeff hoped he wouldn't.

As the laughter subsided, Hunter turned to Kurt, who was sitting next to him.

"Sorry, what was that all about?" Hunter asked.

"What was what about?" Kurt asked, frowning in confusion.

"Whatever Jeff said," Hunter clarified, "What did he mean?"

Kurt had to stop himself from grinning at the other boy's obliviousness.

"Oh, nothing," he said eventually, "Jeff didn't mean anything. We just laughed because he finally said something without Nick's input."

"Ah, okay," Hunter nodded, leaning back on his chair. Yes, that made sense.

* * *

**A/N: Aww, bless Hunter and how oblivious he is! Also, I have to give credit to ****_Eraman _****for the two Huntbastian and Niff jokes at the end, so thank you very much for them :) Also, there are two non-Warbler characters appearing in the next chapter, so if anyone wants to take a guess as to who they might be, then please do :)**

**Just one historical point this time around, which will be further explained in the following chapters:**

**1. Nero really did travel to Naples in 64AD, sadly I do not actually know the exact date, so I am putting it in July, which is when this story is set. The purpose of this trip will be revealed later :)**

**Thank you for reading and please review to tell me what you thought - I love hearing what you have to say :) Also, you can ask me any questions you want about the story or the history behind it :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay, Chapter 10 - this chapter is a little bit of a filler chapter, with no real plot in it, but it still managed to be the longest so far :)**

**Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Jeff whined from his bunk on the ship.

"No, Jeff," Nick sighed, "You asked me that five minutes ago."

Jeff pouted, but didn't say anything; he just kept swinging the bunk aimlessly. In truth, it wasn't aimless; he was trying to stop himself from thinking too much. The last time that he'd been on a boat, he was being shipped off to an unknown city, where he was to be sold as a slave to a complete stranger. Granted, that complete stranger had turned out to be Nick, but it still hadn't begun as a pleasant experience.

Nick, meanwhile, was trying to stop himself from being sick. He'd never been good on boats, and because he'd wanted to stay with Jeff for the journey, he'd ended up on the most unstable ship he'd ever come across. Of course they would have reserved one for the slaves that appeared to be so close to falling apart, while the Emperor and the rest of the senators were travelling on one of the most luxurious boats Nick had ever seen.

"Nicky, are you okay?" Jeff's voice asked from across the cabin, "You're looking a little green."

"I'm fine," Nick shook his head and instantly regretted it, "I just don't like the way the boat's rocking, that's all."

"Basically, you're seasick," Jeff said, "If it's that bad, you should have gone on the other boat."

"I didn't want to go on the other boat," Nick replied, trying to stop his head from spinning, "Because then I wouldn't have been with you, and I couldn't leave you on your own."

"I'd have survived for a few hours without you," Jeff said, watching as Nick pouted. "No, wait, I didn't mean I didn't want you here," he corrected himself, "I just meant that if it had been better for you to go on the other boat, then I'd have coped."

Nick smiled.

"You're too kind to me, Jeffy," he said, rolling over in his bunk and closing his eyes.

Jeff looked over at his friend, who was now lying on his side, facing towards the other wall.

"It's because I love you, Nicky," he said softly.

Suddenly, he realised what he'd said, and he flew out of his bunk in a panic. Quickly, he crossed over to Nick's bunk, ready to profusely apologise and claim it was all just a friendship; only to find that Nick was already asleep. Jeff breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back down on his bunk.

Slowly, he collected his thoughts. Wait, did he just say he loved Nick? When did his feelings towards Nick become those of love?

Jeff couldn't deny it any longer, he was in love with his best friend, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it a secret.

* * *

They arrived outside their boarding house in the middle of the night. The rest of the Emperor's court had gone further into Naples, where they would spending the trip in probably a much nicer establishment than the one that stood before Nick and Jeff.

The building itself was situated at the end of the long road that led straight from the shore. There appeared to be no other buildings for miles around, but it was dark, and Nick could barely see two feet in front of him, let alone down an entire street.

Nick's father had kindly recommended him and Jeff as the two who would stay with the majority of the luggage at this lesser inn, while the rest of the party went and found some luxuries. In his own head, Nick wondered what he'd done to warrant this sort of punishment, but he couldn't think of anything that might have angered his parents. Well, not anything they knew about, because the whole secret society and overthrowing the Emperor aspect might not have pleased them very much.

After knocking loudly, there was eventually the sound of movement from inside.

"Who's calling at this time?" an irritated female voice yelled from inside, "If I have to come out there with a…" The door swung open. "Oh." A tall girl looked down at them condescendingly from the top step, and Nick suddenly felt very out of place.

"Hi," Nick said, trying to smile at the girl, but actually finding her very intimidating, "We're supposed to be staying here, I think?"

"Have you come from Rome?" the girl asked.

Nick nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "Can we come in, please?"

The girl's eyes narrowed instantly.

"We?" she asked, "How many of you are there?"

"Just the two of us," Nick said, slightly confused now as he started to pick up their luggage, "Jeff's just getting some more of the luggage from over there. Is that a problem?"

The girl pursed her lips together in thought, and then beckoned for them to follow her inside.

"Come in," she said, "I suppose it'll be easier for me to explain in here." Nick nodded, and helped Jeff haul the luggage up the steps and into the boarding house itself.

The main room was large and wide, with a few benches and tables scattered around for customers, although it was currently empty.

"There's not going to be any others turning up later, are there?" the girl asked.

"No, just us," Nick said, motioning to himself and Jeff, "Is that okay?"

The girl was silent for a minute before speaking.

"Thing is," she began, "We've had a very large amount of travellers through these parts in the last few days, mostly because they're hoping to catch a glimpse of the Emperor tomorrow, and well, they've taken up most of the rooms. When they sent a messenger down here about you two, he mentioned that only one room would be necessary, and so we assumed that it would only be one guest. Turns out it's two and there's only one spare bed. I hope you two like sharing."

"Oh," Nick said quietly, wondering why they'd only asked for one room in the first place, "So, there's no other option?"

"I'm afraid not," the girl said, "Unless you prefer that stone step outside, you'll have to cosy up together for tonight."

Nick cast a glance at Jeff, who slowly nodded, and then looked down at his feet.

"Fine," Nick said eventually, "We'll take it."

"Good," the girl replied, "Right, what are your names?"

"Nick, and this is Jeff."

"Okay, well, I'm Santana, and I'll get Brittany to show you to your rooms." She crossed over to the door and began locking up. "Britt! Will you come and show these two boys to their room, please?" she called out as she worked.

Nick cast a glance at her as she called them boys; wasn't his father always going on about how he was a man now?

"Oh, please," Santana said, as though she knew what he was thinking, "I've seen twelve year olds who were more manly than you two."

Nick frowned but decided against arguing back, instead turning back to helping Jeff with their luggage.

"Are you the boys from Rome?" a new, softer voice asked, startling Nick slightly as he turned around.

"Er, yeah, we are," Nick said, answering the blonde girl in front of him, "Are you Brittany?"

"Yeah, that's me," the blonde replied happily, clapping her hands together, "Here, I'll show you to your room."

Nick and Jeff followed her up the stairs, listening to her talk happily to them.

"What's Rome like?" she asked excitedly, "I've always wanted to visit Rome, and San says that one day she'll take me there. Or we might go to Egypt. I like the idea of Egypt, apparently they worship cats over there; at least, that's what San told me. I've got a cat, maybe they'll worship him and I can live as a princess because he's my cat. Do you think it would be nice to be a princess?"

At that point, she looked back at Nick, and waited for an answer.

"Er…" Nick couldn't think of anything to say, he'd never been asked that question before, and he hadn't really been paying attention to what the girl had been saying.

"I'm sure it would be lovely," Jeff quickly cut in and answered for Nick, "You'd get to live in a huge palace and wear nice clothes, I suppose."

"Yay!" Brittany smiled happily, "I'd like that!"

She paused in front of a door, and began to find the right key. Nick cast a look back at Jeff and mouthed a thank you to him. Jeff grinned in return.

"Here we go," Brittany said, ushering them inside, "Will that be everything?"

"Er, yeah," Nick said, "Thank you."

The blonde girl waved at them, and then closed the door.

Nick and Jeff hauled the luggage over into one corner of the room, and then stood in the middle, looking at each other awkwardly.

"Sorry about the bed situation," Nick said.

Jeff waved away his apologies.

"It's not your fault," he said, "I don't mind sharing. Unless you have a problem with it, and then I'll sleep on the floor."

"Of course not, Jeff," Nick said, "You're not sleeping on the floor at all. Come on, it's really late and I'm tired." He yawned widely, and threw himself down onto the bed.

Just as Jeff was crossing over to the bed as well, there was a sharp knock on the door, and Santana's voice yelled through to them.

"Are you decent?"

Nick rolled his eyes.

"What does she want now?" he asked Jeff, who shrugged. "Yes, we are decent," he called back to Santana, "So you can come in."

"Good," Santana opened the door and dumped a bag in the corner, "You left it downstairs, so I thought I'd bring it up for you. Sleep tight, boys." She paused and then smirked. "The walls here are very thin, so no funny business during the night." She winked and left the room.

"Did she just suggest that…?" Nick trailed away, looking at Jeff, who was blushing furiously and attempting to hide under the blankets. "This is so embarrassing," he muttered, "She's worse than Sebastian. In fact, I think the two of them could be twins, maybe they'll meet tomorrow."

Slowly, Jeff grinned.

"It's more likely that they'll hate each other," he said, "But it'll be fun to watch anyway. Now, I want to sleep."

Nick nodded and slid under the blankets.

"Night, Jeff," he said.

"Night, Nick."

They both rolled over so that they were facing away from each other, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Nick woke up in the middle of the night suddenly, slightly jumping as he was startled out of his dream. He shifted himself, noticing the warmth he seemed to have found in the night. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the dark, and discovered that he was mere inches away from Jeff's face. And that newfound warmth was Jeff himself.

"Nick what are you doing?" Jeff asked blearily, his eyes opening slowly as Nick's movement woke him up. "Oh, hi," he said awkwardly, realising that he was suddenly looking down at his friend, who was lying half on his chest.

"Sorry," Nick practically squeaked, "I don't know how I managed to end up on top of you. I'm so sorry." He continued to apologise, while mentally berating himself for putting Jeff in this position; the poor unsuspecting boy must have been mortified.

"Nick, it's alright," Jeff laughed.

"It is?" Nick suddenly stopped worrying and looked at his friend curiously.

"Yeah," Jeff grinned, holding out his arms to Nick, who shuffled further away, "Please come back, you were nice and warm."

Nick laughed, and curled up next to his blonde friend again; both of them drifting quickly back to sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, Nick and Jeff found themselves downstairs at the boarding house, both eating homemade food that Brittany had made, and proudly placed before them. Jeff had quickly praised her culinary skills, and she'd hurried back to the kitchen to feed her cat. Or at least that was what Nick thought she was doing, because she'd hurriedly said something about giving up meat for a while, and Nick hadn't been able to work out whether that was her or the cat.

Suddenly, the door swung open, interrupting the calm and quiet of the boarding house. Both Nick and Jeff looked up to see who had just entered, and Nick groaned when he saw that it was Sebastian, with a rather satisfied smirk on his face.

"What do you want, Seb?" Nick asked, as his friend approached them and sat down.

"Don't I even get a 'hello' anymore, Nicky-boy?" Sebastian asked, looking mock-offended. "I just came by to see how you two were."

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure you came out of the good of your heart," he said. Beside him, Jeff snorted.

"He doesn't have a heart," he muttered.

"Not since he gave it to Hunter, anyway," Nick added, watching Sebastian blush violently in front of them.

"Shut up, Nicky," he hissed, "Or I'll tell Blondie all of your greatest secrets."

"I don't have any secrets," Nick scoffed, desperately hoping that Sebastian didn't know his one big secret.

"Do you want to test that theory?" Sebastian asked, smirking as Nick quickly shook his head; he couldn't risk Jeff finding out. "Thought not," he said, "Well, I also came here to inspect this establishment. You should see the place we're staying in, some merchant has loaned us his entire estate, and here you two are in a rundown shed."

"What did you just call this place?" an enraged female voice cut in.

"Huh?" Sebastian looked slightly startled as Santana glared down at him.

"I heard you," Santana said, "And I don't like your sort of people around here if you're only going to insult my place, so if you have nothing better to say, then I'd get the hell out of here if I were you!"

Slowly, Sebastian recovered and stood up to face her.

"Do you know who my father is?" he asked. "He's only one of the most powerful men in Rome, and right now, he's with the Emperor, so if you're just going to be rude, then I can always go over there and get him to come and close this place down."

Santana raised one eyebrow.

"You want to go and tell your father that you've been hanging around in a common boarding house?" she asked, "Because I'm sure he'll be thrilled with that piece of information. If you want, you can also tell him that sleeping upstairs are a number of prostitutes and a few dodgy sailors; that'll please him even more."

"Did we really just spend the night in the same building as those sorts of people?" Jeff whispered worriedly to Nick.

"I'm hoping she's exaggerating a bit," Nick replied.

Sebastian paled at the thought of his father finding out where he'd gone; he'd told him that he was going to take a walk along the coast.

"How about we forget everything I just said and move on?" he quickly amended, holding out his hand for Santana to shake. She looked down at it and then back up, before slapping him swiftly.

"What was that for?" Sebastian cried, clutching his face, "I thought we were going to move on."

"Oh, we have moved on," Santana shrugged, "But something about you just screamed 'smackable'; just like Blondie's hair screams unnatural."

"My hair is natural," Jeff murmured, but no one seemed to hear him.

"This is going to be a fun trip!" Nick remarked, "Especially if everyone else we meet is out to get Seb as well."

"Thanks for the support," Sebastian said sarcastically to Nick, who gave him a beaming smile in return.

"Oh, and if you do cause any more trouble," Santana turned her attention back to Sebastian, "I will not hesitate in going all Napoli on you."

"I got the message," Sebastian held his hands up in defence, "Don't mess with you or your boarding house."

At that point, Brittany re-emerged from the kitchen.

"Hey, Britt," Jeff said with a smile, "How's your cat?"

"He's very good," Brittany replied, clearly overjoyed that Jeff had taken an interest in her pet, "He's finally accepted that he can't eat meat until at least the end of the month. I've just got to stop him sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet his friends; you don't know how many times I've told him it's too dangerous."

Jeff smiled and nodded politely, wondering what she was actually talking about.

"Oh, San!" Brittany cried excitedly, suddenly clapping her hands together, "I like Jeff, can we keep him?"

"What?" Nick and Santana both exclaimed at the same time, while Sebastian laughed and Jeff looked shocked.

"Can we keep him, San?" Brittany repeated, not understanding what was wrong with her suggestion, "He's so cute, like my cat! They could be friends."

Nick pouted.

"But Jeff's my friend," he said, wrapping an arm around the blonde, "You can't keep him because he's mine." Sebastian laughed even harder at that.

"And you say Niff isn't happening," he said, "I wonder why no one believes you."

Nick childishly stuck his tongue out at his friend, and then tightened his grip on Jeff, who had yet to react to anything, but was instead just staring at his food.

"Mature, Nicky, mature," Sebastian said, now laughing even harder.

Meanwhile, Santana had crossed over to stand with Brittany, who was looking very disheartened.

"Why won't Nick let me keep Jeff?" Britt asked sadly, "I just want to be friends."

"Listen, Britt," Santana said, "You don't really want to keep Jeff, do you? Because he's a boy, and I don't really want a boy taking up our time." Slowly, Britt shook her head. "And you," she addressed Nick, "If you hurt my Britt's feelings like that again, I will not stop to think before throwing you off of the nearest cliff, and I will throw Sebastian down there with you to keep you company, which I'm sure you'd love; meanwhile, I'd rethink letting Britt have Jeff, and I don't think you want that, do you?"

Mutely, Nick shook his head, and looked apologetic.

"San," Britt suddenly spoke up again, "Are Nick and Jeff dolphins?"

"Dolphins?" Sebastian asked, "Oblivious idiots, maybe; but, dolphins? Where did that come from?"

"I don't know, Britt," Santana replied, pointedly ignoring Sebastian's comment, "Maybe. Actually, probably."

"Good," Brittany nodded happily, "Like us."

"Yes, like us," Santana grinned, leaning over to give the blonde girl a quick kiss.

Sebastian's mouth dropped open.

"Wait," he said, "You two are lesbians, and I thought you were flirting with me earlier."

Santana laughed.

"No, I ain't interested in you at all. Though I'm pretty sure that you're a dolphin too, so I guess you weren't interested me either."

Sebastian shook his head.

"I like men," he stated, and realisation dawned on his face, "And I guess I know what a dolphin is now." Nick and Jeff, however, still looked confused.

"What's a dolphin?" Jeff asked Brittany, who grinned wildly.

"Everyone knows that a dolphin is a gay shark!" she said happily, before dragging Santana away to the kitchen.

Nick and Jeff both looked at each other in confusion.

"Why do people keep mistaking us for a couple?" Nick asked; while both of them wished desperately for it to be true.

Sebastian, meanwhile, watched them as they gazed at each other, and he instantly knew what they were both thinking. It was so obvious.

"I wonder why," he muttered to himself with a smirk, "I wonder why."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading :) And also, thank you to ****_Eraman_**** for giving me some suggestions for some of the Santana/Sebastian interaction. Brittana will be back later in the story, I promise :)**

**Historical points:**

**1. This isn't even historical, it's actually just a point if I'm honest, but 'Napoli' means 'Naples' in Italian - and this is instead of Santana saying 'Lima Heights'.**

**Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Or ask me any questions to do with the story or the history behind it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here's Chapter 11, which I hope you enjoy. And thank once again to everyone who has reviewed or followed or favourited this story. I reached 36 reviews, which is highly exciting and a very awesome number :)**

**I also want to point out a historical aspect that I should have referenced in the last chapter, and that ****_MarissaWindfee_**** reminded me of, because I used the terms 'gay' and 'lesbian' in a Roman context, despite the fact that 'lesbian' only recieved it's present meaning in the 19th century, and 'gay' not until the 20th century; in Roman times, they did not have a specific word for homosexuality - which is why I am using modern words - but it was mostly accepted, especially for men. I hope that clears that up :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"So, where exactly are we going?" Nick asked Sebastian, as the older boy strode hurriedly in front of them.

They'd been walking for what seemed like ages, but didn't appear to be getting any closer to their destination. It didn't help that Naples was a completely unknown city to all of them, and as much as Sebastian tried to pretend that he knew where he was going, Nick was pretty sure that he'd already got them lost a few times.

"And, Seb, will you slow down," Nick cried in frustration, as the other boy managed to walk even faster.

"It's not my fault that your legs are too short to keep up," Sebastian sighed, halting and turning around, "I don't what's up with Jeff though, unless he just walks slowly." He caught sight of the fact Nick had a hold on Jeff's hand to stop him getting lost in the large crowds they were meeting further in the city, and he smirked. "Or it's just that you two can't go five minutes without touching each other."

"Shut it, Seb," Nick practically growled, "And keep walking before I shove something up your…"

"Alright, Nicky-boy, keep your fantasies to yourself," Sebastian quickly interrupted, "We're almost there anyway."

"Good," Nick muttered, dragging Jeff with him as they followed their friend down another street.

About halfway along, Sebastian stopped them in front of a large building, with ornate decoration surrounding the entrance.

"It's a theatre," Nick stated, "Why are we at a theatre?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Do you have to question everything, Nicky?" he asked, "Just have a little faith and go inside, would you?"

Nick frowned but didn't say anything in return. He and Jeff crossed the threshold of the theatre and were immediately greeted by a tall guard in front of them. Both boys remembered that they were still holding hands at that moment and quickly separated, hoping that the guard hadn't noticed.

"It's okay, guys, it's me," the guard said suddenly, removing his helmet. Nick and Jeff breathed out a sigh of relief when they realised that it was only Hunter.

"Hunt? What are you doing here?" Sebastian cried, noticing his friend and hurrying over, "You never said that you were coming down here as well."

Hunter smiled at the fact Sebastian seemed so pleased to see him.

"I only found out just before we left," he said, "I didn't have a chance to see you until now."

Nick and Jeff both watched their two friends with small knowing smiles on their faces.

"Seb, we're going to go in," Nick said, "We'll see you in there." Sebastian didn't appear to hear him though; he was too busy chattering away to Hunter about how wonderful it was that he was also there.

"I think Seb's reached the lovesick stage," Jeff whispered as they walked further into the theatre.

Nick scoffed.

"He reached that ages ago," he said, "If the two of them don't get together soon, I'm going to force them to sit down and confess their feelings to each other."

"I thought I told you not to interfere," Jeff said with a grin.

"But it's so frustrating," Nick whined childishly, "It's so blinding obvious; I don't think anybody else could be so oblivious."

Jeff laughed and agreed with him.

"Ah, Nicholas, so good of you to join us," Nick's father said as they entered the main body of the theatre, pointedly ignoring Jeff. "The performance is just about to start, so if you want to find your seat, you'll be sitting with Sebastian just down there." He pointed to a group of seats down in the lowest tier, just to the side of the main seats for the other senators. "And I've also made arrangements for your slave to sit with you," he continued, almost grudgingly, "Apparently Sebastian thinks it's a good idea for you two to say together; I don't know why, but I trust that boy's judgement. He takes after his father."

"Of course, thank you," Nick replied, wondering how great an actor Sebastian must be to have convinced his father that he not only took after his own father, but also to have persuaded him to let Jeff stay with them. "And, just out of curiosity," Nick added, "What is happening here? Nobody has told us anything."

Nick's father smiled.

"This is the Emperor's great surprise," he said dramatically, "This is the reason for our visit to Naples." He didn't appear to want to elaborate any more than that, so Nick just nodded in return, and led Jeff away to their seats. He gave his mother a small smile as acknowledgment as they passed her, but she barely spared them a glance; she was more interested in her conversation with Sebastian's stepmother.

"If this is just a glorified popularity speech, I will not be happy," Nick said, as they sat themselves down in their seats, "Seriously, why does he need a theatre?"

"He is the Emperor," Jeff pointed out, "He can't just stand and shout in the street, can he?"

"No one would listen if he did," Nick said, looking thoroughly annoyed that they were being forced to attend this event.

"Shh," Jeff quickly hushed him, "That's a dangerous thing to say, especially when surrounded by all of these senators and guards. Anyway, we're supposed to be keeping an eye on the Emperor for Wes."

Nick pouted.

"But we're by the coast, and I wanted to actually see it properly for once, instead of from a nasty ship in the middle of the night," he said, "We could have gone and walked by the sea, and it would have been amazing, we wouldn't even have to worry about the Emperor or my parents trying to treat you like a slave. We could have gone swimming, or something!"

"That does sound nice," Jeff mused, his mind wandering onto the thought of walking along the coastline with Nick, and then the two of them going swimming; not having to care about anything or anyone else, apart from each other.

"Instead we're stuck here," Nick said, "Waiting for show that'll probably bore the brains out of everyone here. I mean, seriously, why are all of these local people arriving to watch? Why are they here out of choice?"

"I see Nick's complaining already," Sebastian's voice interrupted them, "That's always a good sign."

"How nice of you to join us, Seb," Nick said, "How did you manage to tear yourself away from Hunter?"

"At least I'm able to function without him," Seb shot back, "Unlike you and Jeff."

"Fine," Nick huffed. "Actually, we should be thanking you for convincing my father to let Jeff sit with us, that was very, er, kind of you."

Sebastian smirked.

"It was nothing," he said, "Anyway, I knew this event would be more boring, so I thought that I could at least watch you two if I want some form of entertainment."

Nick rolled his eyes, but knew that he should be grateful for what Sebastian had done, regardless of his motives.

A sudden hush fell over the occupants of the theatre, and the Emperor himself appeared on the stage. Nick, mentally prepared himself to tune out whatever speech he was about to give, but nothing could have warned him for what did actually happen.

The Emperor began singing.

Nick and Jeff simultaneously looked at each other, the confusion evident on both of them faces. Nick listened to the words of the opera piece that the Emperor was currently performing; there didn't even appear to be political message hidden in it, it was just a song. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but everyone else around him appeared to be enjoying the spectacle. Meanwhile, Jeff was utterly bewildered. He'd been expecting a large speech, as Nick had said, and now the Emperor was singing in Greek, a language that Jeff himself didn't understand, although everyone else seemed to. If Jeff was completely honest, the Emperor was making an utter fool of himself, he wasn't showing himself as strong by making some vitally important ruling decisions; instead he was singing an opera, when he should have been leading the Empire.

Suddenly, as the Emperor launched into a new verse, there was a violent jolt as the ground started shaking. The audience looked panicked, but remained in their seats as the Emperor just kept singing.

"What was that?" Jeff whispered, as he clutched Nick's arm in fear.

"I don't know," Nick whispered back, gripping his seat as though he was worried he might be knocked to the floor. They both cast a glance at Sebastian, who looked terrified for once.

"Seb, are you okay?" Jeff asked, actually concerned about how pale the older boy had gone.

"Yeah," Seb nodded, "I'm fine, it just took me surprise, that's all."

Nick and Jeff nodded sympathetically, and then turned their attention back to the Emperor and his performance.

At the end, the Emperor took a bow and thanked them.

"Thank you for your kind applause," he said, and then he lifted his arms up to the sky, "And thank you to the gods for their kind applause, also."

Nick turned to Sebastian and Jeff.

"Surely he can't think that was the applause of the gods," he said, "More like a bad omen; I would have said the gods were angry about something."

Sebastian shrugged.

"Either way," he said, "I think it's a sign that something is about to happen; whether it's good or bad though, I don't know."

* * *

They left Naples that night, bidding goodbye to Brittany and Santana; promising them that they'd hopefully see them again. Britt had been very heartbroken to see them go, and had wished her favourite dolphins luck in whatever they did next. Nick and Jeff, still mildly embarrassed about the dolphins comment, had just smiled and hugged her. Santana said that they were hoping to visit Rome soon, so hopefully they would be able to see them there, and they had all promised to try and contact each other.

The boat journey back to Rome wasn't as bad as the first one. While Nick still insisted on travelling with Jeff and the other slaves, they'd at least hired a different ship that appeared to be a lot more seaworthy than the last.

* * *

Nick woke up the next morning in his own bed. He had to be up and ready in record time for the Emperor's sudden festival procession that he'd decided to hold. Not content with just his performance in Naples, Nero had organised an extravagant parade in honour of himself, before he left the city to relax at his villa in Antium. Nick thought it was overly excessive and unnecessary. The Emperor wasn't even bothering to stay in the city to connect with the citizens properly, he was just being hurried away to his magnificent villa to relax; most probably, while someone else ran the Senate for him.

Nick's parents had found them a prominent place to stand in the crowd, but Sebastian soon arrived, saying that Wes wanted to see them and he'd got another vantage point just further down the Via Sacra. Grudgingly, Nick's father allowed them to go, clearly disappointed that he couldn't force his son to stay with them and cheer the Emperor on with the support that he thought their ruler deserved.

They met up with Wes and David underneath the colonnades.

"Anything to report from Naples?" Wes asked, his voice dropping in volume so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"Not much," Nick replied, "We thought the Emperor was going to make a political speech, and all he did was sing one of the opera's that he composed himself."

Wes frowned.

"He sang an opera?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Sebastian nodded, "Apparently the senators encouraged it because they thought that it would improve his popularity with the ordinary people; in truth, he looked like an idiot."

"Especially since the ground started shaking during it," Jeff added.

"The ground shook?"

"It did," Nick said, "Very violently as well. The Emperor claimed that it was the applause of the gods, we think it was a terrible omen."

Wes shivered involuntarily.

"I hope not," he said, "Because who knows what will happen then."

The others agreed with him, but their conversation was cut short by the sudden sound of the procession approaching. First, there came a number of the Praetorian Guard on horseback; Sebastian quickly spotted Hunter and began waving madly.

"Doesn't he look smart in his uniform?" he practically gushed, and Nick rolled his eyes, while Wes reached out and slapped the older boy.

"Who are you and what have you done with Sebastian?" he asked, "You're practically cooing over a grown man."

Sebastian, despite rubbing his cheek where Wes had slapped him, didn't appear to hear the rest of what he said.

"He didn't even wave back," he pouted, actually looking offended by this.

Nick practically snorted with laughter.

"He's on parade on horseback," he said, "He can't just stop and wave at you; he probably can't even hear you."

"Alright, Nicky-boy," Sebastian retorted, "If that had been a certain blonde up there, you'd have been practically throwing yourself on the ground to get his attention."

"Shut it, Seb," Nick said, he looked almost murderous, as he hoped that Jeff hadn't heard Sebastian's comment over the noise around them.

"But you don't deny it?" Sebastian asked, deliberately provoking his friend. Nick didn't say anything this time, he just shoved Sebastian violently.

"Hey!" Wes cried, noticing the two of them and standing in between them, "Do you seriously have to act like squabbling idiots all the time? Now, leave each other alone, or I'll drop some seriously obvious hints to both Hunter and Jeff. Do you understand?"

Both Sebastian and Nick gulped, nodding quickly in assent.

The guards had passed on, by then, and next came slaves bearing large statues of each of the gods.

"Wow," Jeff said in wonderment, gazing at the bright colours that adorned them.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Nick said in return, and Jeff nodded eagerly, seemingly mesmerised by them.

"That's going too far," Wes suddenly said angrily, motioning towards a large statue of the Emperor himself in the middle of the other statues of the deities, "He's proclaiming himself as a divine being already, even though he's supposed to be granted divine status after death only, and on the decision of the Senate." The others muttered their agreement, as Wes quietly seethed about the audacity of Nero.

Soon, the Emperor himself was approaching. He was being carried by a number of slaves, and was held aloft on a resplendent lectica. He waved to the populace who had turned out to greet him, but Jeff couldn't help comparing the volume of the cheering with the noise that filled areas of Rome, such as the Forum. There was a considerable difference, and Jeff knew that people were not applauding with as much effort as they could have been. Did this show the unpopularity of the Emperor? Or just a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the ordinary citizens for the showing off of such a lavish spectacle? Either way, Jeff couldn't stop thinking about that possible bad omen. Was it for the Emperor? Him and Nick? Or the whole of Rome itself?

* * *

**A/N: So, this bad omen? Well, you'll have to wait and see about that one, unless you want to try and guess it?**

**Lots of historical points for this chapter, unlike the last one:**

**1. The theatre in Naples where Nero sings is actually still open to the public today - it is commonly known as Nero's Theatre, but it's real name is Napoli Sotteranea and actually lies under a modern home.**

**2. Nero did actually sing at Naples in 64AD, and it was the first public performance of his work: an opera in Greek which he composed himself. He refused to perform it in Rome because it didn't have the 'Greek' feel like Naples did. The minor earthquake in this story really did happen during his performance, and Nero continued to perform while it occurred; he thanked the gods and the audience for their applause at the end. The performance was encouraged by his senators to improve his popularity, but many other people felt that he'd just embarrassed himself.**

**3. Nero's villa at Antium is mentioned here, and does exist, being one of the most elaborate villas that is known, there will be another reference to this villa later on.**

**4. 'Via Sacra' means the 'Sacred Way' (literally: Sacred Street) in Rome, and was the path that most Roman processions took place along; Nero had it paved and fitted with colonnades.**

**5. Here, Wes talks about giving an Emperor 'divine status', which means giving them the same sort of status as a deity. Originally, and in Nero's time, it was granted to an Emperor after his death, and was decided upon by the Senate; although, later in the era, Emperors were granted divine status during their lifetimes.**

**6. A 'lectica' is mode of transport that was used by the Emperor and his family, it is a type of litter, and is often called a 'sedan chair' in English. It does not have wheels, and is instead carried by other people.**

**Sorry about the long author's note, and thank you for reading, please leave a review and tell me what you thought! Or ask a question about the story of the history behind it :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Chapter 12 already! Okay, so brace yourselves for this chapter, it's gonna be a rollercoaster :) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed again, it makes my day reading your kind words :)**

**Warning: Angst at the end, yeah, sorry...I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I did want to warn you...a little...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"Nicholas, I have some wonderful news to announce," Nick's father said loudly, while he, Nick's mother and Nick himself were all enjoying their dinner. Jeff and a few other household slaves were standing around the outer walls, waiting to be summoned for a chore or task.

Nick's heart immediately sank; his father's idea of good news was completely different to anyone else's. He just knew that something wasn't right, especially when he caught sight of his mother smiling proudly at him. What had they done?

"I met with another of the senators, a man by the name of Flavius, a few days ago," Nick's father began, "And we've been arranging something that I'm sure you will be very pleased about. Now, Flavius has a daughter, just a few years younger than yourself, a very pretty and well-educated young woman, who would be an eligible match for anybody."

Nick's heart missed a beat. Was his father suggesting what he thought he was suggesting? He hoped not. He kept repeating the word 'no' over and over in his head, as though it might dispel any thoughts of what his father wanted; as though this chanting would save him from this fate that he did not want. He knew what he wanted. Nick knew that he wanted Jeff; he felt so strongly for the other boy, that there was no way that he could just crush these feelings entirely. And there was no way that he could ever love another person in the way that he loved Jeff, especially not a random girl that his father had chosen for him. Wait; love? Yes, there was no doubt about it anymore, Nick was in love with Jeff.

"So, Nicholas," his father was continuing regardless, clearly unaware of his son's distress, "The two of you will be betrothed as soon as possible."

Nick felt his chest tighten painfully as his father spoke the words that he had been dreading. There was no way of escaping this now; he didn't know what to do. The room started spinning, and he had to clench his eyes shut so that he stopped feeling so dizzy. He couldn't do this, he just couldn't.

"So, what's your answer?" his mother asked, clearly not very pleased that he hadn't responded immediately.

"Yes, what do you say, son?" his father added.

They wanted an answer from him; they were both watching him expectantly. He didn't know what to say, but he had to say something; anything to get away from them so that he could clear his head. In the end, he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I'm in love with someone else!" he cried, and then he ran from the room as fast as he could.

* * *

Jeff listened to the entire conversation from his position near the door. All of his hopes appeared to be crushed when Nick's father announced that Nick was to be betrothed. Any glimmer of a chance he had to have Nick reciprocate his feelings had vanished into thin air.

He should have expected it to happen. Nick was the son of a wealthy and prestigious family, he was a very good catch for any other family of a similar social standing, and so it was an imperative that he marry well. There was no way that he and Jeff could have ever been together.

Jeff waited for Nick to give the answer to his parents; he waited for him to say yes and seal Jeff's fate of pining over someone he couldn't have for the rest of his life. But then Nick paused, and Jeff held his breath to wait for his answer.

"I'm in love with someone else!"

By the time Jeff had registered what Nick had said, the other boy was gone from the room, and the sound the front door slamming echoed throughout the house. Both of Nick's parents remained where they were, but his mother threw down her cup with a clatter.

"That boy is so ungrateful," she snapped, as Nick's father nodded, "We give him the best things in life, and he just storms off like that. He's too young to know what love is. Anyway, where's he met anyone he could have fallen in love with? All he does is hang around with those friends of his and that slave boy."

At that point, Jeff didn't feel he could stay any longer, and he slipped out of the room. His mind was spinning too fast for him to cope. Nick was in love with someone. Nick was _in love_ with someone who wasn't him.

He had to find Nick, and he had to find out who he was in love with immediately.

Jeff headed for the front door, running out into the street without a second thought. He knew where Nick would go at a time like this.

* * *

"Nick?" Jeff called softly, pushing open the door to the abandoned building that they'd made theirs.

Silence.

"Nick, I know you're here," Jeff persisted, stepping into the room and closing the door softly behind him. "Nick, please talk to me."

There was the sound of quiet sobbing, and then Nick's head appeared over the top of one of the couches. Nick's face was red from crying, and Jeff had to restrain himself from going over and comforting his friend.

"Jeff?" Nick whispered, "What are you doing here?" He was horrified that Jeff had found him. Jeff had witnessed his outburst; he would ask him about it, wouldn't he?

"I came to find you," Jeff said softly, coming further into the room and sitting on the end of the couch. "You ran off suddenly and I wanted to know what was wrong."

Nick looked at him silently.

"Nick, I heard what you said," Jeff added, in a voice barely above a whisper.

Nick was still silent, his heart starting to race as he panicked. What was Jeff going to say?

"Is it true?" Jeff asked, "Do you love someone else?" He couldn't help it, his voice cracked emotionally as he spoke and he could feel tears rising. He couldn't even begin to comprehend the idea of having to see Nick in love with someone else; it was going to break him completely. At least, beforehand, when he hadn't known anything about Nick's feelings, he had been able to imagine that there was a possibility that Nick felt the same way. But now…Jeff didn't know what to do.

"I can't marry that girl, Jeff," Nick's voice sounded just as emotional as Jeff's had. "I can't marry anybody I don't love, especially not now."

"Nick, you never answered my question," Jeff sounded desperate now. He had to know; he had to prepare himself for what was to happen in the future. He needed that absolute proof so he could resign himself to definite heartbreak. "Do you love someone else?"

Nick froze, not quite sure how to respond for a moment.

"Yeah," he said finally. He dared to look up at Jeff; he took in his defeated expression and the tear that had dared to escape, and was now trailing his way down his face.

Then Nick knew. He just knew what was wrong, and everything fell into place.

"Yeah, Jeff," he repeated, "I'm in love with someone else." And then he leaned forward, and captured Jeff's lips with his own.

Jeff didn't have time to register anything, because Nick's lips were suddenly pressed against his own. Nick was actually kissing him! Jeff's mind did a happy dance to itself, before remembering to respond, and Jeff leaned into the kiss.

Slowly, Nick brought his hand up to rest on Jeff's cheek, while his other hand grasped the back of the blonde's neck and pulled him closer. Jeff settled his hands on Nick's waist, and shifted himself so that he ended up half in the brunette's lap.

Eventually, they broke away from each other, both staring shyly at the other. Jeff bit his lip nervously, a happy smile sneaking across his features; one that was mirrored by Nick.

"You're in love with me?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah," Nick replied softly.

"Good," Jeff smiled, "Because I'm in love with you too."

He shifted even closer to Nick, and crashed their lips together again. Nick tilted his head so that he could deepen the kiss, and within seconds it had turned passionate. Jeff slowly leant even further forwards, so that Nick was lying down on the couch, and Jeff could crawl on top of him. After a few more minutes of kissing, they eventually broke apart, and Jeff moved his head so that it was resting on Nick's chest, while Nick wrapped an arm around Jeff's waist to hold him close. He then took Jeff's hand and delicately entwined their fingers, before guiding their joined hands and laying them between the two of them.

"I've been dreaming about this moment," Nick admitted aloud, "The moment when I could finally voice my feelings for you."

"Me too," Jeff agreed, attempting to curl even closer into Nick's side. "How long have you known about your feelings?" he asked suddenly.

Nick didn't even hesitate before answering.

"It was that day we found this place," he said, "When I went to get us a drink while you were practising the alphabet. What about you?"

Jeff grinned and lifted his head to look at Nick.

"It was the same day," he said, "While you went out of the room, I realised how I felt."

"We're such idiots," Nick laughed, "We could have told each other before. And I kept saying how oblivious Huntbastian are, and we were the totally oblivious ones."

Jeff giggled.

"Huntbastian?"

"It's their collective noun," Nick explained, "Like, we're Niff."

"We are Niff," Jeff nodded, "At least, now we are."

Nick smiled happily, and leaned down to kiss the top of Jeff's head.

They lay there in silence for a while, until Nick spoke again.

"Jeff," he said, "What do we do about my parents? And this marriage they're setting up?"

Jeff's face fell when he was reminded of that.

"I don't know," he said helplessly, "I don't want them to separate us."

"I don't want that either," Nick replied, "We'll have to figure something out. I promise you that I won't let them take you away or tear us apart, I promise you, Jeff."

"I promise you too," Jeff said, leaning up to kiss Nick passionately again.

A little while later found them lying next to each other again, trying to catch their breath from the last kiss.

"I don't want to go back just yet," Nick said suddenly, "I don't want this to end just yet."

"We don't have to go anywhere," Jeff answered, making himself comfortable as he curled into Nick's chest, "We can stay here all night. It's already getting late. We can deal with your parents in the morning."

"I like that idea," Nick smiled down at the blonde, "We'd better get some sleep then."

"Night, Nick," Jeff said, as Nick reached down for one last kiss before sleeping, "I love you."

"I love you too, Jeff," Nick replied softly.

Both boys fell asleep with a smile on their faces, wrapped up in each other completely.

* * *

Jeff woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, and was immediately reminded of the previous events. He smiled at the thought, and went to settle back down, when something caught his attention. What was that strange smell? He lifted his head, and started panicking.

He could smell smoke.

"Nick," he said hurriedly, shaking the brunette awake, "Nick, wake up!"

"What is it?" Nick asked groggily, blinking a few times in the darkness until he could see Jeff's worried face looking down at him, "Jeff, what's wrong?"

"I can smell smoke," Jeff said, "Nick, something's on fire."

"What?" Nick sat up quickly, pulling Jeff with him so that they were both standing in the darkened room. "I can't see any flames or anything."

"There's definitely a fire somewhere," Jeff said, looking around, as though searching for the fire itself, "I don't think it's here yet, but it's close."

Suddenly, as if to confirm that, there was a strangled scream from somewhere outside, followed by a loud noise and more screams. Jeff turned to Nick in terror.

"What do we do?" he asked.

"We have to get out of here," Nick said, "There's often fires here in Rome; they travel quickly and can destroy whole buildings. We need to get out into the open, Jeff, and warn more people. It's the middle of the night, so most people will be at home asleep; they're all in danger."

Jeff nodded as Nick took his hand, and led him out into the street. The smell of the fire was stronger outside, and both boys could see large columns of smoke rising further down the street.

Nick drew Jeff in closer to him, and held him tightly.

"It's almost here," he said, "We've got to warn these people who are still asleep in this street and the next one."

"What then?" Jeff asked, sinking into Nick's embrace, as the first few people started running past them.

"The fire will have spread in all directions," Nick said, "We've got to hope that the soldiers organise putting it out, or that it burns itself out quickly. For now, we have to head back towards home and make sure everyone is alright there."

Jeff nodded. He and Nick headed to one side of the road, both violently banging on the doors and shutters.

"Fire!" both boys yelled as loud as they could, "Fire!"

Soon, more people were pouring out into the street, most still hazy from sleep. Now, the first few flames could be seen. They moved at a terrifying pace through the buildings, and Nick and Jeff knew that they had to keep moving.

"We've got to go now, Jeff," Nick said, taking the other boy's hand again as they began to run, "We've got to get home and warn everyone. I hope Sebastian and Wes, and everyone else hears about it."

"They're going to be fine," Jeff said, more to convince himself and Nick, than actually knowing that, "We're going to be fine."

"I hope so, Jeffy," Nick said, bringing Jeff's hand up and kissing the other boy's knuckles, "I seriously hope so."

By the time they'd travelled across a few streets, sporadically yelling if there were still houses that looked undisturbed, the entire city appeared to have come alive. People were calling for water, for relatives, for friends, for help. There was the occasional heart-wrenching scream that made Nick and Jeff cling tighter to each other.

As they rounded a street corner, and found an intersection, they felt a blast of heat hit them; further down the road they wanted to turn down, they could see the flames already demolishing a number of buildings.

"The fire's spreading faster here," Nick noted.

"But that's the way home," Jeff said in a panic, "How are we going to get there now?"

"There's another way," Nick said, pulling Jeff in another direction, "It's longer, but it should be a reasonable distance from the fire."

They ran down a few more streets, until they finally reached the end of the road that led to Nick's house.

"The fire got here faster than I'd imagined," Nick said worriedly, looking down at the flames already rising at the far end, "We have to hurry, Jeff, we need to get to the house."

The two boys reached the house, just as Nick's parents and the slaves were emerging.

"Boys!" Nick's father actually seemed too shocked to even address them by name or remember that Jeff was really a slave; he also didn't seem to notice their joined hands. "Where were you?"

"We fell asleep," Nick explained, dropping Jeff's hand, but moving closer to him, "And when we woke up, we discovered the fire."

"Alright," Nick's father didn't appear to be in the mood to discuss what had happened before, at that moment, "It won't be long until the fire reaches here, the palace will be able to offer us shelter, and will be out of the way of the fire; we're going there." He gave an order to the slaves, who were carrying a number of expensive possessions.

Nick and Jeff had just turned to follow them, when Nick stopped.

"Jeff, my poems are in there," he said in a panic, "My parents won't have got them out. I need to go in there and get them; they're my most prized possessions."

Jeff looked up at the fire, which was now just about to reach the far side of the neighbouring building.

"No, Nick," he shook his head, "It's too dangerous."

"Jeff, I have to," Nick's voice was desperate, "I need to."

He leaned up and quickly gave Jeff a kiss, while his parents were preoccupied, and then he spun around and dashed back towards the house.

"Nick! No!" Jeff screamed, throwing out his arms to catch the other boy, but he was too late; Nick had already reached the side door, and was pulling it open.

"Nicholas!" His mother turned around at Jeff's cry and was just in time to see her son re-enter their house.

"What's the matter?" Nick's father turned around as well, "What's happened?" He noticed the lack of Nick. "Where's Nicholas?"

"He's gone back into the house," Nick's mother said in a rush, "He's gone back in!"

Nick's father came back down to where Jeff and Nick's mother were still standing in the street.

"Damn it!" he cried, "What was the boy thinking? It's too dangerous!"

Just then, there was a gust of wind, and it blew the flames closer to the house itself, until they latched onto the wooden front door and began burning furiously.

And that was when Nick's mother finally showed some humanity and love for her son.

"Nicholas!" she screamed in terror, "Somebody save him! Somebody save my son!" She started sobbing uncontrollably, and her husband quickly caught her as she appeared to go limp in his arms.

Nick's father looked up at Jeff suddenly, and Jeff just knew that he was appealing for Jeff's help. Jeff had seen that expression before, on the faces of all the people who'd been killed in his village; on his mother's face; on his father's face; and on his brother's face. Once again, he felt frozen in place with fear. He didn't know what to do or think.

But could he let this happen again? Let someone else he loved die?

Suddenly, Jeff could hear Nick's voice in his head.

"You're not a coward, Jeffy."

"You're so brave, Jeffy, so, so brave."

"Now, don't forget how special you are."

And lastly:

"I love you, Jeff."

Tears poured down Jeff's face. He couldn't leave Nick in there. He turned to Nick's father and nodded.

"I'm going to find him," he said defiantly, and then he was sprinting to the already open side door, and disappearing inside.

* * *

The first thing Jeff noticed was the smoke. The entire house was swirling with it, although the flames didn't appear to have reached the main rooms just yet. Jeff ducked lower, so that he practically crouching; he remembered his father once saying something about the cleanest air being lower down. He coughed a few times, and then covered his nose and mouth with his hand.

Nick's room was just to the left of the side door, and Jeff went stumbling in its direction. He felt along the wall with his hand, until he reached the opening. He quickly crawled inside, catching sight of a flame from the entrance hall as he did so. The close proximity made his heart race in panic.

He cast his eye around Nick's room hurriedly, peering through the smoke.

And then he saw him.

Nick was collapsed on the floor, his poems clutched tightly in his hand. If the room wasn't full of smoke, or the house on fire, it would have looked like he was sleeping.

"Nick, no, no, no," Jeff muttered to himself, crawling closer to his friend, "Nick, this can't be happening. Nicky, you have to be alright. Everything was going so well; we were both so happy. I love you, Nicky, please wake up." Despite shaking the boy a few times, he didn't stir.

Slowly, Jeff reached out for Nick's neck.

His trembling fingers failed to find a pulse.

* * *

**A/N: I am so, so sorry about the ending...the next chapter will be up soon...hopefully...at least, Niff happened, right? And then I ruined it...sorry...**

**Historical Points:**

**1. Nick's father uses the word 'betrothed' when announcing Nick's impending marriage, but this isn't exactly what the Romans used, they had the word ****_nuptiae_****, which is the name of the entire process of getting married; which started with a party to celebrate the marriage, and then the marriage itself. I could have used the word 'engaged' because it means the same thing, but 'betrothed' is a more archaic way of expressing it, so I used that instead.**

**2. The fire in this story is the Great Fire of Rome, which occurred on the night of 18th/19th July 64AD. Rome regularly experienced city fires, due to the close promixity of many wooden buildings, but this particular fire is most famous for its level of destruction to the city. There will be more explained about this later in the story.**

**Once again, I'm sorry for the evil cliffhanger, but please do still leave a review...even if it is to tell me how mean I am for leaving the ending like that...**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I am still apologising for the last cliffhanger, and so, I am giving you an especially long chapter to make up for it.**

**Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed this story - I can't believe I have over 40 reviews now, do you think we could make it to 50? Please?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

His trembling fingers failed to find a pulse.

"No!" Jeff practically howled in despair, "No, Nick! Please, I love you! No, this can't be happening!" He knew that he had to get out of the house as fast as possible, the smoke was becoming thicker, and he could practically hear the flames roaring behind him.

Without thinking twice, he gathered Nick's limp body up into his arms, making sure that he had a firm grasp on the poems as well, and then went stumbling towards the door. He couldn't get lower while he was carrying Nick, and so he was forced to walk straight through the smoke. It was suffocating. The intense heat felt scorching against his back as he ran in the direction of the side door.

In a panic, Jeff halted. Where had the door gone? He was sure that he'd left it open in his rush to find Nick; he should have been able to see outside world, but he couldn't.

Thinking fast, he got closer to the wall, and found the door. It appeared to have slammed shut at some point. Jeff put his back against it and pushed on it.

It didn't budge.

"No, no, no," Jeff said, trying the door again.

He could see the flames clearly now; they were quickly devouring the wall draping less than ten feet away from him. He needed that door to open, and he needed it to open _now_. He faced away from it and shoved it with his back again.

There was still no movement.

Jeff tried again, this time even harder, and he could have sworn it moved a little.

The flames were barely a few feet away, and the combination of heat and smoke was making Jeff's eyes water, while the smoke was tickling his throat and forcing him to cough repeatedly.

Jeff knew that he now only had enough time for one last try to get the door to move, before he was consumed by the fire. He put all of his weight behind it, and shoved against the door as hard as he could.

At first, he was terrified that nothing had happened, then door was flying open and he was stumbling out into the street, just as the doorway itself burst into flames.

"I've got him," Jeff announced to Nick's parents, and Nick's mother immediately ceased looking so panicked. "But he needs medical attention urgently."

"Let's get to the palace," Nick's father said, once again giving more orders to the slaves, "There will be someone there who can help us."

Jeff nodded, and then followed after Nick's parents, who didn't even once approach their son to actually check on him.

As they hurried up the Palatine Hill towards the Emperor's palace, Jeff looked down at Nick's body in his arms. He'd told Nick's parents that their son needed medical attention, but he feared that a doctor would not be able to do any good. He could feel tears building up again, and he had to muffle a sob as he thought about the possibility of having to live without Nick; the possibility of never hearing him speak again; or the possibility of never being able to kiss him again. Jeff just couldn't deal with that prospect. Nick had been his only friend, his protector, and now, he decided, the love of his life; who could live without that?

* * *

The Emperor's palace was already swarming with people when they arrived, and Nick's father had to use his high social status to demand to be seen by whoever was in charge.

One of the Emperor's advisers came down to meet them, and upon Nick's father's request, promised to fetch a doctor for them, and told them that they could use any of the rooms.

"In here will do," Nick's mother said, as they entered a large room, with a few couches scattered around, "You may as well put him down on one of those." She motioned for Jeff to place Nick on the nearest couch.

If Jeff was honest, he didn't want to let go of the boy in his arms, but he didn't fancy explaining the reason why to Nick's mother, and so he complied. As delicately as he could, he laid Nick down on the couch, and smoothed his hair out of his eyes. He could have been sleeping. Jeff kept hold of the poems, attempting to keep them out of sight from Nick's parents.

Eventually, one of the Emperor's doctors arrived, and he came over to see his patient. He appeared to prod Nick a few times, with no apparent response or reason, and then he stood up, proclaiming that there was nothing he could do.

"What?" Jeff cried, before he could stop himself.

"Shut it, boy," Nick's father snapped, as both he and Nick's mother glared at him for speaking out of turn, while the doctor looked at him sympathetically.

Internally, Jeff was terrified, he'd hoped that there might have been a miraculous cure that would mean that Nick would wake up and be completely fine.

"I'm very sorry," Nick's father apologised to the doctor, "The boy didn't mean to be so rude, I'm sure, he's just very close to my son." He shot Jeff another glare, but the doctor just waved it away.

"It's good to see such a loyal slave," he said with a smile, "Some of them nowadays just don't care." He looked back over at where Nick lay. "The good news is that your son is still alive," he addressed Nick's father, but appeared to be glancing at Jeff while he spoke, "But the bad news is he's suffering from the effects of the smoke from the fire. There's nothing I can do for him; if he wakes up, then he'll make a full recovery, if he doesn't wake up, then I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Nick's father said, dismissing the doctor quickly.

Jeff felt a surge of hope wash over him as the doctor spoke, there wasn't a definite chance of Nick being perfectly fine, but at least there was a possibility now. Maybe, just maybe, all of Jeff's prayers had been answered.

"Now, boy," Nick's father turned around and spoke to him, "I want you to stay here with my son until further orders are given to you, do you understand? If you disobey me, there'll be consequences."

Jeff nodded mutely, not risking talking aloud, in case he said something out of line again. Fortunately, Nick's father hadn't brought up the topic of his previous outburst; he was probably just in a hurry to get away so that he could get on with his own business.

"Good," Nick's father said, and then he left the room with Nick's mother, neither of them even sparing a glance for their son.

At last, Jeff was alone. He got up from where he was kneeling, and sat down on the couch next to Nick. He smoothed another stray strand of hair away from Nick's face, and then placed his own hand over Nick's limp one.

"Come on, Nick," he whispered softly, entwining their fingers together, and bringing Nick's hand up so that he could kiss his knuckles in the same way that Nick had done to him. He couldn't believe that moment had happened less than an hour ago, and now their lives had been turned upside down in one of the worst ways possible. "Nick, please," Jeff was actually begging now, "Nick, please wake up. I love you, Nick, you can't just leave me."

His tears were falling faster now; rolling down his face, and soaking both his tunic and the couch beneath him. He couldn't do this anymore; he didn't want to live without Nick. Tears clouded his vision, and he could no longer see anything but the beautiful boy in front of him. Everything else had faded away, and he was left just staring down at the boy he loved. At some point, he moved Nick's head into his lap, and half-cradled his body in his arms, but apart from that, he sat motionless; just staring and crying.

And that's when he felt it, the feeling of something brushing past his fingers. Slowly, Jeff blinked away a few tears and looked down at where his hand was wrapped around Nick's. Surely not…no, there it was again.

Jeff watched as Nick's fingers twitched a few times. Once. Twice. Three times.

"Nick?" Jeff choked out, squeezing Nick's hand tightly so that he knew he was there.

At the sound of Jeff's voice, Nick's eyelids started fluttering, and, eventually, he opened his eyes; quickly blinking them closed again at the sudden light.

"Jeff?" Nick managed to croak out, his voice sounding rough and cracked from the smoke.

"Oh my…!" Jeff quickly picked the other boy up so that he was held tightly against his chest, cradling his head carefully on his shoulder. Nick wound his arms around Jeff's neck, and held onto him as though his life depended on it. "I thought I'd lost you," Jeff sobbed, as both he and Nick cried together now, "I thought I'd never see you or hear your voice again."

"I'm never leaving you, Jeffy," Nick sobbed as well, "I wouldn't do that to you."

He coughed a few times, his throat felt like sandpaper and it was painful to talk.

"Jeff, do you think you could get me some…"

"Water? Yes, of course," Jeff replied.

"How did you know what I was going to say?" Nick asked curiously, leaning back and studying Jeff's face.

Jeff grinned.

"One, I know you too well," he said, "And two, your voice sounds awful."

Nick laughed, and then coughed violently. Jeff kissed his forehead, and then detached himself from the brunette boy, and climbed off the couch.

He stuck his head out of the door, and managed to startle a passing slave.

"Are you trying to scare me?" the slave asked, immediately registering that Jeff was also a slave, and therefore deciding that he could talk so casually to him. The chaos around them, as people sought shelter in the palace, also meant that there was less risk of a reprimand.

"No, sorry," Jeff apologised quickly, not wishing to suddenly offend the other slave, "But my…" He stopped before he called Nick his friend. "My, er, master has been suffering from the effects of the smoke, and wishes for some water, do you think you could fetch me some?"

"Can't you do that yourself?" the other slave asked.

Jeff had to refrain from wanting to slap the man in front of him for his unhelpfulness; normally he wouldn't have felt so annoyed, but he was worrying about Nick, and he wasn't as calm as usual.

"No, because I don't know where I can find water here," he said, taking a deep breath, "And my master's father has ordered me not to leave this room."

The slave still looked unimpressed.

"If you don't believe me, you can go and ask my master's father," Jeff said, pointing at Nick's father, who was standing with a group of senators, "That's him over there."

The slave visibly paled as he realised who Jeff was talking about.

"Was it water that you wanted?" he asked hurriedly.

Jeff smiled.

"Yes, please," he said, "Bring a fair amount of it, and while you're heading that way, would you mind telling my master's father that his son has woken up?"

"Of course," the slave nodded and quickly walked off, looking mildly terrified.

Jeff grinned to himself, and then went back to Nick's side.

"Did you have to scare him like that?" Nick asked, as he rested his head on Jeff's shoulder.

"Yes," Jeff replied, "Now, stop talking, otherwise your throat will get worse."

"What if I don't want…?" Nick never got to finish his sentence, because Jeff managed to shut him up with a kiss.

"There," the blonde boy said triumphantly, "I think that worked."

"I don't think…"

Jeff kissed him again.

"If you're going to kiss me every time I talk," Nick said, "Then I can keep this up all day."

Jeff pouted when he realised the flaw in his plan.

"Fine, no kisses," he huffed, turning his face away from Nick.

Nick grinned and reached up to take Jeff's face in his hands, and turn his head so that he could kiss him again, when there was knock on the door.

"Stupid slave," Jeff muttered again, earning a laugh and a coughing fit from Nick.

The blonde boy slid off the couch and went to the door. He opened it to find the slave standing there with a large jug of water and a cup.

"Here you go," the slave said as he passed the jug and cup over.

"Thank you," Jeff said. He looked up at Nick's father, who was still talking with the other senators. "But I thought I also told you to tell my master's father that his son had woken up?"

"I did tell him," the slave looked slightly put out that Jeff didn't appear to trust him.

"Fine," Jeff nodded, "That'll be all."

The slave left hurriedly, and Jeff turned around to face Nick.

"My parents don't care, do they?" Nick said, looking down at the couch sadly.

Jeff set the water down, and then pulled Nick into a tight hug.

"I'm sure it's not like that," he said, "When we thought you were dead, your mother nearly fainted, surely that's got to show that she cares?"

"Jeff, it took me almost dying for them to show any sort of love towards me," Nick said, "I think that says a lot. But Jeff, you know what, I don't even care anymore, because I have you now, and I love you so much, Jeff."

Jeff felt himself tearing up.

"I love you too, Nick," he said, hugging the other boy again.

Nick was about to respond, when he succumbed to coughing fit instead.

"Now, here's the water," Jeff said, filling up the cup from the jug, and handing it over. Nick thanked him, and then quickly swallowed the cool liquid, holding his cup out for more once he'd finished. Jeff laughed and complied, watching as Nick then gulped that lot down too.

"Thank you," Nick said, "That's much better." He put the cup down and grinned at Jeff. "Now, where were we before we were interrupted?" He winked and Jeff blushed violently.

* * *

"We heard about your son," one senator said, addressing Nick's father, and another group of men nodded, "It must be such a relief that he survived."

"Yes, it was," Nick's father replied, forcing a smile onto his face, "His mother and I were very concerned."

"We also heard about how his slave boy carried him to safety," the senator continued, "You're very lucky to have such a loyal slave in your household, that boy has done a great service to your family; I'm guessing that you've considered freeing him, since he's done more than enough to earn his freedom."

Nick's father failed to find an immediate reply. The thought of freeing his son's slave hadn't even crossed his mind, but now all of these senators were murmuring their agreement to this proposition, and waiting for his answer expectantly.

"Er, yes, as soon as this is cleared up and the Emperor has made an appearance, I'll be asking him to personally perform the ceremony," Nick's father said eventually.

"Well, you're just in luck," the senator said, patting Nick's father's arm, and then pointing towards the main entrance of the palace, "The Emperor has just arrived."

Nick's father glanced over in the direction that the senator was indicating, and there was the Emperor, sweeping into the palace surrounded by a large number of his bodyguards.

Great, now, he'd actually have to go through with this.

* * *

"Jeff, what actually happened in the fire?" Nick asked suddenly, looking up at Jeff, from where he had his head resting against the blonde's chest. "I don't remember anything after I went inside."

"You passed out in your room," Jeff explained, "I thought you were dead when I found you, and then I got you outside and we made it here, and then you woke up."

"My hero," Nick grinned, cuddling into Jeff's chest even more.

Jeff laughed, and carefully laid down, so that Nick was curled into his side.

"Jeff, what happened to my poems?" Nick asked, suddenly serious.

Jeff smiled.

"They're underneath this couch," he said, "I hid them from your parents."

"Thank you," Nick said gratefully.

He lifted his hand and began tracing patterns into Jeff's chest and stomach.

"That tickles," Jeff laughed, lifting his head to watch what Nick was doing. Nick grinned, but didn't stop.

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Nicholas?" Nick's father's voice interrupted them, and Jeff practically fell off the couch as he tried to untangle himself from Nick in a hurry. As soon as Jeff was upright, Nick called for his father to come in. "You took you time," Nick's father said, as he entered the room.

"Sorry, Father," Nick hung his head and didn't offer an excuse; he didn't think telling his father that he was actually enjoying some alone time with Jeff would go down very well.

"Now, I have some important news," Nick's father said, "The Emperor has just arrived, and he's announced his new great plan, he is going to build his Domus Aurea over a large proportion of this sector of the city. Construction will start immediately after the fire has been safely put out."

"But…" Nick looked shocked, "That'll be right over our house. How are we supposed to rebuild our house, if the Emperor builds straight over it?"

"That's the good news, Nicholas," his father insisted, "He's allowing us to live here, with him, in his new Domus Aurea, once it has been built; for now, we'll be staying here."

"Jeff, too?" Nick's eyes narrowed as he imagined his father sending Jeff to work with the other palace slaves.

"Your slave as well," his father replied, still not bringing himself to address Jeff by name, "You'll be shown to your new rooms soon. Your slave can ever stay with you, or you can send him to the same quarters as the rest of the Emperor's household."

"Jeff will be staying with me," Nick said defiantly.

"Good," Nick's father nodded, "Because he can't go to the slave quarters anyway; the Emperor has agreed to free him once he's sorted out the mess the fire's caused."

Nick felt his chest swell with happiness. Jeff was going to be free! No more having to pretend around his parents; no more having to worry about being separated.

"Thank you, Father," he said, a grin spreading across his face, as his father nodded and then left the room.

"Did he just…?" Jeff asked, his eyes wide in shock.

"You're going to be free!" Nick cried, as Jeff shouted happily and practically threw himself back onto the couch beside Nick.

"I'm going to be free!" Jeff repeated in awe, leaning down and kissing Nick passionately.

"You are," Nick grinned, reaching up and putting his hands on Jeff's waist, before quickly flipping them over so that he was looking down at the blonde. "This is the best news ever."

"It would be even better if you kissed me again," Jeff said.

"I'm sure I could manage that," Nick replied, winking at the blonde boy, before kissing him again.

Jeff had just gathered up the courage to slide his hands under Nick's tunic, when there was another knock on the door.

"Nick! Jeff!" Wes' urgent voice floated into the room, "Are you in here?"

"I am going to kill Wes in a minute," Nick said, sounding rather disappointed as Jeff removed his hands, and they both had to separate and sit up. "As always, his timing is impeccable."

Jeff laughed.

"That's a little extreme," he said, kissing Nick's forehead, "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that your father said something about us sharing a room later." He winked, and Nick groaned, throwing himself backwards onto the couch.

"Jeff," he whined, "You can't remind me of things like that now, not with Wes standing outside the door."

"Nick! Are you and Jeff okay in there?" Wes' voice called again.

"We're fine, Wes," Nick called back, "You can come in!"

"Finally," Wes said, as he pushed the door open, and he and Hunter entered, "I was worried something was going on in here."

Both Nick and Jeff blushed, and looked down at the floor. Wes watched them with a curious look on his face; he knew he could make a rather accurate guess as to what had been going on.

"Anyway," Wes quickly changed the subject, "We've just heard what happened to you, Nick, and how Jeff saved you; we're glad to see that you're both okay."

"Apparently, I'm going to be fine," Nick said, once he'd managed to recover from the shock Wes had given him.

"Glad to hear it," Wes smiled.

"Hang on," Jeff interrupted quickly, as he noticed the pained look on Hunter's face. "Where are David and Sebastian?"

"David's outside, tending to some of the people who have come in for shelter; he has some medical knowledge," Wes explained, he frowned and didn't continue.

"Wes, where's Sebastian?" Nick repeated the question, slowly starting to worry.

There was a tense silence, until Hunter spoke suddenly, his voice sounding panicked.

"We don't know. Sebastian's missing."

* * *

**A/N: Aren't I evil? I resolve one cliffhanger, give you some cute Niff, tell you that Jeff is going to be freed, and then I leave another cliffhanger!**

**Historical Points:**

**1. The Palatine Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, and is located in the centre of the city; traditionally, the Emperor's palace was built on top of it, along with other large temples to various gods.**

**2. The Romans did have proper doctors, but I have no idea how they would treat smoke inhalation, probably with nothing, because nowadays, they used ventilators to counter the carbon monoxide poisoning. So, if it had been that serious, Nick probably wouldn't have survived...**

**3. Nero's ****_Domus Aurea_****, which means Golden Palace (literally: Gold Home) in Latin, was a large palace that Nero began to construct over many burnt out buildings after the fire, which left lots of people homeless. It was never completely finished, and the next Emperor actually knocked it down.**

**Thank you, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought! Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Right, here's yet another chapter - I can't believe I've actually been able to update this story so quickly! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I love hearing what you guys have to say :) Also, this story has over 1000 views, which is just...wow...thank you all so much!**

**And just a quick heads up, but there's only around 6 more chapters of this story left, including an epilogue, and then I'm planning to start another fic - which I hope you might all consider reading once it is posted :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"We don't know. Sebastian's missing."

"What do you mean by missing?" Nick asked, his eyes wide in shock.

"As in, his entire family and household are here, and he isn't," Wes explained, "We've asked around, but none of them have seen him since the fire started."

"I seriously hope he hasn't gone and done anything foolish," Hunter said, starting to pace worriedly.

"I'm sure he'll turn up soon," Wes said.

And as if on cue, there was a sudden uproar outside, and one voice could be heard clearly over all of the others.

"Will you get off me? I'm fine!"

"Sebastian…" Hunter half-whispered, his mouth dropping open, as the boy in question came hurrying through the door.

He appeared relatively unharmed, apart from the cut on his forehead, but his clothes were in tatters and he appeared to have lost both shoes. There was soot from the smoke smeared all over him, and the bottom of his clothes looked a little singed.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, grinning widely. He opened his arms out, as though gesturing for a hug, but not actually exactly expecting one.

He definitely didn't expect Hunter to practically run into him and kiss him. Sebastian's eyes went wide and his arms flailed a little, until he registered what was happening and decided to wrap them around Hunter's waist.

"Finally," Wes said to Nick and Jeff, who both nodded.

"I was going to say the same thing," Nick agreed, "Jeff and I have been waiting for them to get together for ages." Wes grinned, and looked sideways at the other two boys, but they didn't appear to notice; Wes was pretty sure that everyone else had been waiting for Niff to happen for even longer.

Eventually, Hunter and Sebastian broke apart. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but Hunter reached out and slapped him.

"What?" Sebastian cried in annoyance, "You can't kiss me and then slap me!"

"That's for scaring me to death back there!" Hunter said fervently, "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Sebastian looked mildly terrified.

"I didn't exactly do it on purpose," he said, "I went to find you at the barracks because I was worried about you!"

Hunter's frown disappeared, and an almost shy smile crept onto his face.

"You did?" he asked, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I love you, you idiot!" Sebastian cried, grabbing Hunter and kissing him again.

At that point, David walked into the room, casting a curious look at Hunter and Sebastian, and then turning to Wes.

"What's up with them?" he asked, motioning towards the two boys behind them.

"They finally got their act together," Wes explained, "A bit like Niff over here."

David grinned, as both Nick and Jeff looked up at Wes in confusion.

"How did you know?" Nick asked, and Wes smiled knowingly.

"You forget that I know everything," the older boy said, "And anyway, it was obvious; you got embarrassed when I asked if something had been going on in here." Both Nick and Jeff blushed.

"Sorry, did you say Niff has happened?" Sebastian asked, suddenly breaking away from Hunter for long enough to speak.

"Yes," Wes said, looking at the two youngest boys very proudly, "I did say that."

Nick grinned up at Jeff, and put an arm around his waist so that he could pull him closer.

"This is wonderful," Sebastian said, actually looking rather close to crying. He sniffed loudly. "My little Nicky's all grown up."

Wes rolled his eyes.

"Sebastian, are you crying?" he asked.

"What?" Sebastian cried, "No, of course not, I've just…I've got something in my eye."

Wes raised an eyebrow.

"Little things called tears, maybe?" he asked.

"Leave me alone," Sebastian said, wiping away a few stray tears, "It's so happy, okay."

Wes turned and looked at Nick and Jeff. He watched as Nick had to stand on his tiptoes to whisper something into Jeff's ear, and then as Jeff leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nick's forehead.

"They are kind of sweet," he admitted.

"See," Sebastian said, actually almost sobbing now.

Hunter reached over and handed him a small piece of cloth.

"What's this for?" Sebastian asked, holding up the cloth in confusion.

"It's so you can wipe away your tears," Hunter said matter-of-factly. Sebastian nodded slowly, and began to delicately dry his eyes.

Once he'd finished, he turned back to Hunter.

"Why did you have this with you?" he asked.

"In case you cried," Hunter said, as Sebastian frowned.

"But you couldn't have known that Niff would get together at this precise moment, could you?"

"No, but I've been carrying it around ever since I met them."

"Oh."

There was a pause.

"Hunter, how would you have possibly known that I would cry?"

Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please, Seb," he said, "You cry at everything."

"I do not!"

"You do!"

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"Got you that time," Hunter grinned, as Sebastian pouted.

"Sorry, and we're still supposed to believe that Nick and Jeff are the old married couple, here?" Wes said aside to David.

"Hunter and Seb are acting more like little children," David replied with a shrug.

Wes considered this statement.

"It's a shame we can't keep a record of this moment," he mused, "It would be wonderful to show at their wedding."

David laughed.

"I'm pretty sure we can remind them of it from time to time," he said, "Anyway, we're going to embarrass them so much more at their wedding."

"Why wait for their wedding?" Wes smirked.

"Sorry, what was that about a wedding?" Sebastian asked, suddenly joining in with the conversation.

"Oh, nothing," Wes dismissed it, "I was just saying how I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed with the sudden affection in this room; if I'm honest, I'm feeling rather nauseous."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it," Sebastian said, half his sentence disappearing as he kissed Hunter again.

Wes sank down onto one of the couches, and groaned as he caught sight of Nick and Jeff being overly cute again. He shut his eyes and tried to think of something completely different instead.

"If you're feeling that left out, we can always cuddle," David suggested, sitting on the couch beside his best friend. Wes opened one eye sceptically and gave David a highly unimpressed look.

"I said I was feeling ill, not desperate, David," he said shortly. David pouted and looked rather offended.

"I was only trying to be nice," he said indignantly.

"David, if I'd said yes, would you have really wanted to cuddle?"

"No, not particularly."

* * *

As soon as they received the news that the fire had finally been extinguished, the Emperor announced to Nick's father that he would perform the ceremony for freeing Jeff. Nick's father received the news with a fake smile plastered on his face, before turning to his wife when they were finally alone.

"I swear that boy still hasn't done enough work to pay off the amount I paid for him," he said, as Nick's mother nodded.

"If I'm honest, I've never seen him do any work at all," she replied, narrowing her eyes at the thought, "He's always doing something with our son or his friends, but I've never really seen him do anything useful."

"Maybe I could try and convince the Emperor to change his mind," Nick's father mused, "I could tell him that I wanted my money's worth first, before I made a proper decision; the Emperor would understand that completely."

"It's no use," his wife snapped, "All of the other senators and advisers are waiting for the ceremony to take place right now. I even heard Sebastian's father saying that the slave boy had proven to be very loyal."

Nick's father practically growled.

"If I lose out on this financially," he said, "I will be making Nicholas personally reimburse me."

Nick's mother shrugged.

"I don't care how you do it," she said, "But we're not going to be cheated out of anything. Tell Nicholas that it's for his own good and his own future."

Nick's father looked highly sceptical.

"Since when has that boy ever cared about his future?" he asked, "He's never been very enthusiastic whenever the subject is discussed, and I doubt he has a clue about anything financial."

"One would think that we hadn't tried with him," Nick's mother sighed, "And yet all he wants to do is still run around with his friends, and spend days locked up in his room with his slave boy."

"It's pathetic," Nick's father practically spat out, "If he knew what was good for him, he would have been attending political meetings with me by now."

"We should have forced him to a long time ago," Nick's mother said.

Nick's father nodded in agreement, and went to continue to speak, but their conversation was interrupted by a slave approaching them and informing them that the Emperor was ready to begin the ceremony. Nick's parents cast annoyed looks at each other, and then proceeded to follow the slave.

* * *

"Nicky, I don't know what to do," Jeff said worriedly, "What if I make a huge fool of myself?"

"Jeffy, you don't actually have to do that much," Nick reassured him, "Just take the cap and move when you're needed to. I'm the one who'll be speaking, and hopefully not completely messing up the words."

"I know," Jeff said, sinking into Nick's chest as the brunette boy wrapped his arms around him, "I just want this to be over quickly so that we can move on."

"So that you can be free," Nick said, smiling at the thought and kissing Jeff's forehead.

"Yes, so that I can be with you," Jeff answered happily, curling into Nick's chest even more.

"Nick, Jeff, we've got to get out there," Wes stuck his head into the room and motioned for them to follow him, "There's a nice little crowd gathered out here, so be prepared."

Jeff paled.

"You'll do fine, Jeffy," Nick promised, reaching up and pressing a soft kiss to Jeff's lips. "Now, come on. We don't want to disappoint anyone, do we?"

* * *

Nick and Jeff stood in front of the Emperor, who was holding a thin rod in his hands. The rest of the crowd stood behind them; most of them were senators, but others were just ordinary citizens who were curious enough to want to watch. Nick caught sight of his parents standing just to his left, looking mightily displeased, but still attempting to hide it behind fake smiles. Jeff stood to his right, in front of the Emperor, and Nick could practically feel the nervousness radiating from the blonde boy; he just wanted to hold him close and tell him that everything would be fine.

The Emperor nodded once to signal that the ceremony could begin. Nick took a deep breath, and prepared himself to speak.

"I desire that this man be free, according to the customs of the Romans," he said.

There was a pause as they all waited for the Emperor's approval. At first, Nick's father considered that this might be a chance for the decision for freedom to be revoked, but his hopes were crushed when the Emperor gave a definitive nod and placed the rod on Jeff's head.

"I say that this man is free, after the manner of the Romans," the Emperor declared, and then he lifted the rod and motioned for Nick to step forward. Nick placed the cap of freedom on Jeff's head, and then he turned him around in a circle and allowed him to walk away.

There were a few loud cheers, mostly from Sebastian, and then the crowd began to disperse.

* * *

Nick caught up with Jeff just outside the suite of rooms that they'd been allocated for their stay in the palace, and the blonde boy turned around to give him a grateful smile.

"Thank you for calming me down back there," he said, "I think I would have passed out otherwise."

"It was no problem," Nick grinned, "I'd do anything for you. And now you're free, Jeff! You're your own person legally now as well, which means no more having to pretend."

"It's a little overwhelming," Jeff replied, as Nick opened the door to their room, and quickly ushered him inside.

"You're going to be fine," Nick said, "You don't exactly have to act much different at all, you just don't have to worry about my parents demanding that you take orders anymore."

Jeff smiled happily, as Nick closed the door, and then slid the bolt across it to lock it.

"Do you really need to lock it?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow as Nick crossed the room towards him.

"Yes," he replied, "It's so that no one can just walk in on us."

Jeff blushed, as Nick leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips. Nick wound his arms around Jeff's waist, and pulled him in closer to him, while Jeff put his arms around Nick's neck and tangled his fingers in the other boy's hair.

"I love you," Nick whispered against Jeff's lips, as they separated for a moment.

"I love you too," Jeff whispered in return, quickly reattaching himself to Nick's mouth.

Outside the door, Wes had gathered with David, Sebastian and Hunter so that they could discuss some important news. While Hunter and Sebastian were rather occupied with themselves, Wes tried the door to Nick and Jeff's room, only to find that it was locked.

"Nick? Jeff?" Wes called, knocking on the door, "Can we come in, please?"

"Ignore them," Nick whispered to Jeff, as he practically pushed the blonde boy down onto the nearest bed, "They'll go away in a minute."

Jeff grinned, and fell on to the bed, managing to make a rather large thudding noise as he did so.

Outside, Wes was startled to hear a loud crash from inside the room, and no response from either Nick or Jeff. He turned to David with a worried look on his face, but David just shrugged in return. The loud noise managed to attract both Hunter and Sebastian's attention, and both boys came over to see what was going on.

"Why won't they open the door?" Hunter asked.

"I don't know," Wes said, "It's locked, and I can't get any sort of reply."

"Here let me try," Sebastian stepped forward, and putting his head against the door. "Nick! Jeff! If you don't open this door right now, I will get Hunter to break it down, do you understand?"

"I am going to kill them," Nick muttered, as he had to detach himself from where he'd been quite happily marking the skin below Jeff's collarbone.

"For once, I'm not even going to try and stop you," Jeff murmured in response, already missing the feeling of Nick being so close to him. "Are you sure we can't just continue this and ignore them?"

"Sadly, I don't think the door is actually that strong," Nick said, climbing off of the bed, "And knowing Wes, he's probably assuming that we're in trouble or something, especially with the noise you managed to make with that bed."

Jeff looked a little sheepish.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said.

Nick waved his apology away.

"Didn't bother me," he grinned, walking over to the door. He slid the bolt back and opened it slowly, allowing his friends to all enter, before he shut the door, and made sure that it was bolted again.

"Finally!" David cried, "We thought something had happened to you and Jeff!"

Sebastian smirked, as he took in the fact that Nick's hair was a mess, and Jeff was perched on the bed, attempting to rearrange his tunic.

"I think something did happen," he said, "These two are becoming a lot less innocent."

Nick blushed, and Jeff descended into another one of the coughing fits that he always succumbed to when he became embarrassed.

"Alright, Seb," Wes said, "Enough of the teasing, what Nick and Jeff get up to behind closed doors is up to them."

"That's why the door was closed," Nick muttered in annoyance. Wes didn't appear to hear him, but Sebastian started laughing again.

"So," Wes began, making himself comfortable on one of the chairs in the room, "I've got some good news to share with you." He paused, as the rest of the group settled themselves on various pieces of furniture; Nick and Jeff were sitting on one of the beds, while Hunter was sat on a nearby clothes chest with Sebastian on his lap, and David took to leaning on the wall. "During the fire, and all of the chaos, my father managed to escape from his prison cell. However, he has had to go into hiding immediately, as once his absence is noticed, the Emperor will want him found. He's decided to go into hiding within the Subura, and David and I will be joining him as soon as we leave the palace today."

"The Subura?" Nick asked, wide-eyed, "Why would you want to live there?"

"I know it's not the most desirable place to be," Wes replied, "But it's one of the places that the soldiers won't go looking for us, and the overcrowding will make it harder for them to single anybody out."

"But what about Warbler meetings?" Hunter asked, "Where will we hold them now?"

"They'll be at wherever we end up living," Wes explained, "I'll give you the exact address when I know it. But you must be careful when going there; make sure that people do not see what you're doing."

There were murmurs of agreement around the room.

"I suppose that we'd better announce our new living arrangements as well," Nick said finally, "This isn't just temporary accommodation in the palace, we'll be staying here until the Emperor has completed his new Domus Aurea, and then we'll be moving into there."

Wes nodded.

"It'll be harder to get messages to you, then," he said, "Seb, where are you staying currently?"

Sebastian thought for a moment.

"Not much has been said yet," he said eventually, "But I imagine that we'll also be living here. I can probably get away easier than Nick or Jeff can, so I can take any messages from you."

"Alright," Wes said, "We'll have to decide on a meeting place."

"What about the Temple of Serapis?" Nick suggested, "It's on the Quirinal Hill, so a far enough distance away from here, but not so far away from the Subura."

Slowly, Wes nodded.

"That sounds like a good plan," he said, "Sebastian, I will meet you there tomorrow morning to give you the first details of the next meeting."

Sebastian agreed, and then Wes and David got up to leave.

"We'd better be heading off," Wes said, "We'll hopefully see you all soon, and remember about the secrecy."

"How could we forget?" Nick grinned, "Now, Hunter and Sebastian, would you please leave as well? Jeff and I want to finish what we started earlier."

Jeff squeaked at Nick's sudden bluntness, and hid his face in his hands.

"Alright, we're leaving," Sebastian said, grabbing Hunter's hand and pulling him out of the room, "We wouldn't want to see anything anyway." He threw a wink at Jeff, who was now blushing a deep red colour.

"Stop making him feel uncomfortable, Seb," Nick scolded, as he went to close the door on his two friends.

Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"Says the boy who just announced to us that you wanted to finish what you'd started earlier."

Nick blushed, and slammed the door in Sebastian's face. He laughed slightly when he heard Sebastian's indignant cry of surprise as he was left in the corridor.

"Did you have to say that?" Jeff asked, still looking very embarrassed, "Couldn't you have just made up a reason for wanting them to leave?"

"Nah," Nick shook his head, as he went to stand in front of where Jeff was still sitting on the bed, "They wouldn't have left fast enough otherwise."

He leant down and put his mouth very close to Jeff's ear.

"And then I wouldn't have been able to do this," he whispered.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Huntbastian! And yay for no horrible cliffhanger this time around :) Also, thank you to****_ Eraman_**** for some of the text in this passage :)**

**Historical Points:**

**1. The act of freeing a Roman slave was known as 'manumission', and there were different methods that could be used in the freeing ceremony. In this story, Jeff is freed 'Per vindictam', I have used the most basic versions of the words that were said during this ceremony, because there were likely to be other legal aspects. Other methods included 'Per testamentum' - which was when the master left a slave freedom in his will - or 'Per censum' - which is when the slave had permission to enter his own name onto the censor's roll.**

**2. The Subura was a district in Roman that was mostly for the poorer citizens, and consisted of large blocks of flats with shops underneath. It was situated between the Esquiline Hill and the Viminal Hill. The Subura was notorious for being a highly undesirable area, with many unsavoury types of people living there.**

**3. The Temple of Serapis was an actual temple that was built on the Quirinal Hill - one of the hills of Rome, at the northern-most point of the city - and was dedicated to the Graeco-Egyptian god Serapis, who was supposed to be another version of the Egyptian god Osiris.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought :) Or ask a question about the story or the history behind it :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, wow, chapter 15, please enjoy :) Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed this story so far, I got so excited to see that I had over 50 reviews! Maybe we can get it to 60? :)**

**Warning: There is a description of a gladiator tournament in this chapter, and while it's not really really graphic, there are some aspects of violence that are alluded to quite clearly, so I just thought I should warn you if you don't want to read that sort of thing.**

**Also, on the last chapter I managed to make a nice big historical mistake, I suggested that the fire went out after only maybe a day, since Jeff was freed rather quickly; only it turns out that the fire lasted around a week instead, so I'm claiming creative licence here :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

It was nearly two weeks after the fire that had consumed a large portion of the city; three of the fourteen districts had been completely destroyed, and a further seven had suffered a large amount of damage.

Nick and Jeff, meanwhile, were being forced to become accustomed to life inside the palace. There were constantly other slaves attempting to fuss around them, clearly hoping that they might receive some sort of favours from either Nick or his father if they were especially helpful. Nick had to actually tell one slave girl off for managing to open the locked door to their room one morning, just so that she could light them a fire; not only was Nick still having trouble dealing with seeing even the smallest flame, Jeff had actually been sleeping next to him at that point. Fortunately, Nick had been able to get rid of her before she noticed that Jeff was there, and he was glad of that.

There was also the matter of Sebastian, who'd taken to also opening the locked door, and bounding into their room whenever he felt like it. In fact, one morning they'd both completely overslept, and Sebastian had barged into the room and thrown himself on top of the bed itself, loudly demanding to know if they were both naked. After telling him to be quiet, Nick had answered that they weren't naked, but they'd greatly appreciate it if he left them alone. They'd had no such luck, as Sebastian had promptly torn the sheets from the bed, and demanded that they get up. As soon as the other boy had finally departed, Nick had commented to Jeff that next time he'd tell him that they were actually naked, and Jeff had doubted that Seb would respond any differently. He was probably right.

There was also still the issue of Nick's parents. Although the palace was large enough for them to have their own set of rooms a fair distance from Nick and Jeff's, it didn't mean that either of them didn't pass by occasionally under the pretence of wanting to ask something, but really just keeping a firm eye on the two of them.

Jeff had just managed to overpower Nick in the tickling war that the brunette had started, and was currently straddling the other boy's waist in an attempt to hold him down, when there was a sharp knock on the door, and the sound of Nick's father's voice. In a panic, Jeff let Nick go, before the brunette hurriedly fixed his clothing, and Jeff disappeared through the adjoining door into his own room.

"Father," Nick said, politely greeting his father as he opened the door to him, "I wasn't expecting to see you here at all."

"Well, I would have sent a slave to fetch you to our rooms, but I have an important meeting to be attending, and so I thought that I'd just pass by with a message," Nick's father replied.

"Of course," Nick nodded, understanding completely that his father would definitely find a meeting more important than talking to his own son.

"I realise that your mother and I never really addressed the outburst you made after we settled a suitable marriage for you," his father explained, "And as strange and ungrateful as that occurrence was, I thought I should inform you that the betrothal is being cancelled because Flavius' family lost a lot of their wealth in the fire, and now cannot pay their daughter's dowry."

Nick breathed a small sigh of relief. He'd been pushing the thoughts of marriage to the back of his mind and hoping that if he didn't think about it, then it suddenly wouldn't become a reality. And anyway, spending time with Jeff tended to take Nick's mind off anything else.

"But that doesn't mean that your outburst was acceptable, Nicholas," his father continued speaking, "If anyone knew what you'd said, then you might have ruined the reputation of this family, for who wants a son who claims to have fallen in love with some unsuitable girl? If she had been suitable, then you would have clearly presented to me the idea of marrying her beforehand."

Nick's throat went dry as his father assumed that he was in love with a girl; what would he do if he discovered that it was actually Jeff?

"I'm not in love with anyone, Father," he said finally, hoping that Jeff wasn't listening. He hated that he couldn't voice the fact that he was in love with Jeff; it made him feel as though he was implying that he was ashamed of his love for the blonde boy, which he obviously wasn't. "It was a mistake, that's all. I panicked in that situation, because I wasn't sure that I was ready to handle such a large commitment just yet."

His father frowned.

"Just don't let it happen again," the older man said, "Good day, Nicholas." He turned and walked off down the corridor. Nick breathed a sigh of relief to see him retreating, and he closed the door, leaning against it heavily as he took joy in the fact that he wasn't going to be forced into a marriage.

"I take it you didn't mean what you just said?" Jeff asked, appearing across the room in the doorway of the other room, "About making a mistake."

Nick shook his head.

"Jeff, I'd never call you a mistake," he said, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I just don't think my father would see it the same way."

Jeff smiled and put his arms around the shorter brunette.

"I know that," he said, "I'm just glad that you don't have to get married to some girl."

"I don't want to marry anyone but you," Nick said firmly, gazing up at the blonde, who blushed and gasped suddenly.

"You want to marry me?" he asked shyly.

Now it was Nick's turn to blush.

"I could have asked it in a more romantic way, I suppose," he said, "But yes, I want to marry you, Jeff." He quickly stepped out of Jeff's arms, and took both of Jeff's hands instead. He took a deep breath, before gazing up at the other boy. "Well, here goes," he said, "Jeff, I love you more than anything else in this entire world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Jeff, will you marry me?"

Even though he'd guessed what Nick was going to say, Jeff couldn't stop his eyes from going wide and his mouth dropping open in shock. He looked down into Nick's eyes and felt tears brimming in his own. He loved the boy in front of him so much, and he just knew that he wanted to spend forever with him.

"Yes," he nodded, as the first few tears began trailing down his face, "Yes, Nick, I'll marry you!"

The biggest grin spread out across Nick's face, and he kissed Jeff with as much passion as he possibly could; the whole kiss becoming symbolic of the promise and commitment that both boys wanted to make to each other.

"I love you so much," Jeff whispered, as he leant his forehead on Nick's own.

"I love you so much as well," Nick whispered back, pulling the other boy in for another kiss.

* * *

"Something tells me that I'm not going to enjoy today," Jeff muttered, as Nick ushered him up a flight of steps to their seats in the amphitheatre.

"Lots of fighting and death for the entertainment of the populace?" Nick made a face. "Can't understand why anybody would enjoy it."

Jeff cast his gaze around the packed stands.

"Yet there's practically a full house here," he said, "I just don't get what the fascination with the whole spectacle is."

"Well, you didn't actually have to come," Nick pointed out, "My father was only forcing me to go." Jeff raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the boy next to him.

"I'd much rather be here with you, than back at the palace by myself," he replied, quickly brushing his thumb across the back of Nick's hand as he went to turn into their row of seats. They would be missing Wes and David today, since they were still hiding in the Subura with Wes' father, and none of them dared to appear at such a public event.

"There you are," Sebastian said, looking up as the two boys took their seats next to him and Hunter, "I was starting to worry that you'd got distracted or something." He winked at them as he spoke, but the other two decided to blatantly ignore his comments.

"Is Thad fighting today?" Nick chose to lean over to address Hunter instead.

"I think so," Hunter replied, grinning as Sebastian pouted, "But not until much later."

Nick nodded.

"Great, so we have to sit through an entire of day of violence," he said, "Completely and utterly pointless violence."

"Technically the executions are not pointless," Sebastian cut in, smirking clearly to show that he knew he was annoying Nick purposely, "They're a punishment to those who have committed crimes against the people and the empire, therefore deserving to be…"

Nick turned to him with a hard look on his face.

"One word for you, Seb," he hissed, "Wes."

Sebastian's smirk disappeared immediately, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I forgot about that," he said.

"And the rest of us as well," Hunter piped up helpfully.

Sebastian smacked him on the arm.

"You're supposed to be on my side," he said, "It's not fair if you gang up on me with these two."

Hunter grinned, and kissed his cheek quickly, before anybody else around them saw.

"Alright, Seb," he laughed, "I'll protect you from them instead, because look how scary Nick and Jeff are, I mean, I've never met anyone as intimidating as Jeff."

Sebastian pouted again, pushing Hunter lightly as the other boy mocked him.

"You're all so mean to me," he said, sounding like a petulant child.

"Yes, don't let the big and evil and scary Jeff get you," Nick joined in, as Jeff laughed at him. "We wouldn't want him to hurt poor, ickle Sebastian now, would we?"

"Why am I friends with you?" Sebastian sighed, glaring at the three of them.

"I'm pretty sure it's because you love us," Nick said, grinning widely.

"No, I love one of you," Sebastian corrected, "I tolerate you two." He looked at Nick and Jeff, who both made heart symbols at him.

"I think it's true love, Jeffy," Nick said, looking at the blonde, who faked a sob and pretended to dry his eyes.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and turned back to Hunter.

"Who do I have to pay to put the two of them down in the arena with a vicious animal?" he asked.

Hunter laughed.

"That's a little harsh, Seb," he replied, "I think they're just trying to get you back for everything that you've done to them."

Sebastian pouted yet again, but he didn't get to say anything in return, because the air was suddenly filled with the deafening noise of a trumpet fanfare. In fact, it was so loud and piercing, that Nick was sure that Jeff had actually jumped when it had started.

The fanfare was followed by a large procession, the statues of the gods, like in all other parades, were carried at the front so that people could see them clearly. They were followed by slaves carrying the palm branches for the winners, and a scribe to record the results of the fights. Lastly, came the Emperor, surrounded by a retinue of attendants carrying the armour and weapons for the gladiators, and the gladiators themselves.

"There's Thad!" Sebastian cried, waving madly at their friend, who glanced up at them and rolled his eyes at Sebastian's antics. "He saw us!"

"Yes, he did," Hunter replied, patting Sebastian's arm, "Now, please calm down before you embarrass yourself any more than you just did."

"I didn't embarrass myself," Sebastian said indignantly.

"Are sure about that?" Jeff asked, "Because then why did the people behind us just groan and say how awful it is when somebody gets a little bit too excited to see these gladiators?"

"I don't like this," Sebastian said suddenly, turning to Nick, "Ever since you and Blondie got together, he's become a lot more confident, and now he's making fun of me too."

"Get used to it," Nick said, with absolutely no sympathy, "Because Jeff and I are just getting warmed up; you'd better be looking forward to the rest of it."

"You're all…" Sebastian began, but Hunter interrupted him.

"Shh," he said hurriedly, "They're announcing the names of the gladiators who are fighting now."

The names of the gladiators were announced, and the arena was quickly cleared to get ready for the first fight.

"What happens first?" Jeff asked, watching as some slaves were readying cages at the sides.

"They'll release some wild animals into the arena, and then they send out specially trained gladiators to fight them," Nick explained, and Jeff immediately looked worried.

"What sort of animals?" he asked.

"You'll see in a minute. It varies from show to show, but since the Emperor is putting this one on, it's likely to be as exotic as possible."

Just as Nick spoke, the cages around the arena were sprung open, and an assortment of animals were set free. At one point, Jeff gasped and lent forward in his seat.

"Nick," he patted the other boy's arm to gain his attention, "What's that animal down there, the striped one?"

Nick peered over the edge and down at the animal in question.

"That's a tiger, Jeff," he said, wondering why that animal in particular had caught the other boy's attention, "Tigers are some of the rarest animals that they put into these fights."

"I've seen one before," Jeff said slowly, and Nick's attention was immediately piqued as he wondered where the other boy would have come into contact with a tiger.

"You have?"

"Yes, in my village when I was younger," Jeff continued, "Some men were travelling through, and there was one with them in a cage. All the other children used to try and get as close to it as they could before it growled at them, but I used to just sit in front of it and talk for hours. It never growled at me, it just watched me while I spoke, and I convinced myself that it was really listening to me. It sounds stupid, but I think that tiger was the closest I'd ever had to a friend before I met you."

"That's not stupid," Nick said, "Hey, actually, was that around six or seven years ago?"

Jeff thought for a moment.

"Yes, I think it was," he said eventually.

"I remember that tiger," Nick said, "They brought it in for another one of these events, originally it was only going to be exhibited, but the Emperor convinced the trainers that it should be made to fight one of the gladiators."

"What happened to it?" Jeff asked quietly, already dreading the answer.

"I'm sorry, Jeff," Nick reached out and clasped the blonde's hand in his own, "But it was killed in the arena."

Jeff nodded understandingly, but he still looked rather sad; Nick imagined that it must be upsetting to discover that your first friend had been killed, even if that friend had been a tiger.

The beast fighting lasted for around two hours, surprisingly with minimal injuries to the fighters, and some of the animals too. Although Nick was glad for the gladiators, he knew that the Emperor, and also the crowd, would now be hungrier for a vast amount of bloodshed in the afternoon's entertainment, and that meant there would be a lot less mercy on the losing fighters. For that, he could only hope that Thad was thoroughly prepared for this fight, because if he wasn't, the results could be disastrous.

It reached midday, and the executions had just been announced, therefore Nick quickly turned to Jeff.

"Do you want to stay?" he asked, "Otherwise, we can go and buy some food."

Jeff shook his head.

"I have no desire to watch anymore of this than I need to," he said, "Food sounds like a much more appealing option."

Nick nodded.

"Okay, Hunter and Sebastian, if you're staying here, we'll buy you a pie to share or something," he added to their two friends, who were still seated.

"Are you sure that you and Jeff don't want to stay and watch all the nasty things that are about to happen?" Sebastian asked evilly, "Jeff, did you hear that one time they got a…"

"Thanks, Seb," Nick cut him off as Jeff's eyes went wide with horror, "You don't need to terrify him."

"I'm just getting you back for earlier," Sebastian replied, "I mean, you practically threatened me."

"Yes, we threatened you with Jeff," Nick said, "Jeff, who is probably the nicest person you will ever meet. I think you'll find that all your arguments are invalid now." He grinned, and then turned quickly to follow Jeff down the steps.

* * *

When they arrived back in their seats, the executions had almost finished.

"Is this the last one?" Nick asked, gesturing to the arena as he handed over the pie to Hunter and Sebastian.

"Yeah," Hunter replied, "And it's a horrible one, they set the lion on five prisoners around ten minutes ago." He grimaced. "Four of them were killed quickly, but the lion's been chasing the fifth around the arena for a few minutes now."

Nick and Jeff both glanced down into the arena to catch sight of one terrified criminal being chased by an especially savage looking lion, which was gaining distance on him rather fast.

"I can't watch," Jeff said faintly, burying his head into Nick's shoulder.

"Neither," Nick agreed, and also looked away.

There was silence for another minute or so, and then a sickening thud and a cut off scream. Nick winced at the sound, and Jeff practically whimpered into his shoulder.

"It's over," Hunter said, signalling to them that they could both look again.

"I'm not sure I can deal with watching Thad fight now," Jeff commented, looking as though he was going to be sick.

"We can always leave," Nick said, "We can go back to the palace right now."

"As appealing as that sounds," Jeff said, "I don't think you're going to want to explain to your father why you suddenly got up and left the show."

Nick made a face.

"I know, but I'd rather you were happier…"

"Nick, I'll be fine," Jeff interrupted him quickly, before the other boy felt too guilty for having to stay, "Anyway, if it gets too bad, I'll just have to use your shoulder to hide my eyes."

"Sounds fair enough," Nick replied, grinning at the idea of being able to get closer to Jeff.

"Hmm, why did I know you'd go for that?" Jeff teased, prodding the brunette in the side.

Nick's retort was lost in Sebastian's sudden shout.

"They've just announced Thad's name! He's going to be fighting first!"

All conversation was abandoned, as the four boys leant forward to watch their friend carefully.

Thad was a great deal smaller than his opponent, who was almost towering over him as they both sized each other up for the fight.

Of the four types of duelling gladiators, Thad was a Thraex, a fighter known for their agility, which was all Thad had as an advantage, as height and strength were unlikely to overpower his opponent alone. Being a Thraex meant that he was equipped with a short, crooked sword and a smaller shield, while for protection he had leg pads on, chain mail on his sword arm, and a helmet. His adversary was a Murmillo, who carried a lance, a sword and a larger shield, as well as armour on his arms, a single leg pad and a helmet.

The referee stepped forward, looking to the Emperor for the signal that the fight could begin. The Emperor gave the sign, and then Thad and his opponent were alone in the arena, save for the referee, who stayed well out of their way.

"I almost just want them to get on with it," Nick muttered, the tension from the two men just sizing each other up was starting to get to him.

As soon as he spoke, the Murmillo made the first move. He was heavier and stronger than Thad, and he slashed at the smaller boy with his sword with as much force as he could muster. But Thad was agile, and he leapt quickly to the side, never taking his eyes away from his opponent.

"That wasn't a wise move," Hunter commented, as the Murmillo struggled with the impact of such a strong blow on thin air, and it made him unstable on his feet for a second or two.

However, before Thad could make his own move, the other man had righted himself, and had turned back to him again. Even from the crowd, the four boys could sense Thad's sudden apprehension.

"He should have taken that chance," Hunter said, and Nick glanced over at him, suddenly realising that they were likely to get a complete commentary on Thad's fighting techniques throughout the match.

"Come on, Thad!" Sebastian yelled as loudly as he could, only to be slapped by Hunter.

"What are you doing?" the other boy asked, "You're distracting him."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"And the other thousands of screaming citizens aren't?" he asked.

Nick turned to Jeff with a smirk.

"Hunter is taking this whole fighting thing far too seriously," he said, "I mean, it is serious, obviously, because Thad's life is at risk, but it's still quite amusing to watch him tell Sebastian off."

"It's amusing watching anyone annoy Sebastian," Jeff remarked, clearly too loudly for Hunter, because he quickly hushed him and told him to focus on the fight.

In the arena, the two gladiators were again circling each other, occasionally making swings at each other, which were nearly always blocked, parried or avoided.

Suddenly, the huge Murmillo lunged forward with surprising speed, and caught the top of Thad's arm with the edge of his sword. The smaller gladiator was knocked to the floor with the force of the attack, and the large Murmillo raised his sword above his head so that he could slam it down and end the fight.

The four boys in the crowd watched in horror as the huge gladiator plunged the sword downwards.

* * *

**A/N: Eeek, sorry, another cliffhanger :) And I have to point out that what happens in the next chapter will be the beginning of the end, so you have been warned :)**

**Historical Points:**

**1. Roman marriage will be further explained in a later chapter, but I will just put here that gay marriage was legal in Roman society.**

**2. All details that I included in the descriptions of the gladiators themselves, and the fights and executions are as close to factually correct as I can possibly make them, so thank you to ****_Eraman_**** for some of the information used. There was actually an entire gladiator show during Nero's reign, in which nobody died, but this would have most likely been looked upon as a highly unentertaining show by Roman standards.**

**3. Hunter references minutes when talking about the executions, even though minutes weren't actually invented until much later in history, around the 1200s. I've used minutes just because it's a convenient smaller measurement of time.**

**Thank you for reading, and please review to tell me what you thought. Or ask a question about the story or the history behind it :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry about the longish wait since the last chapter, I've been doing exams. I have to mention that my exam tomorrow is for Latin Sources, and it's this exam that inspired me to write this story, and has also been a wonderful revision aid, so thank you for supporting this story so that I was motivated to continue it :)**

**Thank you as well to everyone who has reviewed this story so far - maybe this chapter will make it to 60 reviews?**

**Warning: More semi-violence from the gladiator fights in this chapter, so I hope that's okay!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

The four boys in the crowd watched in horror as the huge gladiator plunged the sword downwards.

But Thad saw it coming and rolled quickly out of the way. Grasping his sword in one hand, he stood up again. A gasp went up from the crowd, as the wound began to bleed, a few drops of blood dripping onto the sawdust on the floor.

"He's hurt," Hunter observed, even though it was clearly obvious to everyone.

Down in the arena, Thad called to the referee for a break, and he was sent off to have wound looked at, while the Murmillo was handed some water to drink. Nick watched Thad disappear with growing worry; Thad needed to win this fight, because the Emperor was unlikely to be in the mood to spare the loser, considering how bored their ruler currently looked. Nick knew that he considered the amount of bloodshed that had occurred pitiful, and so he would be looking for any chance to change that.

Eventually, Thad re-emerged from the tunnels underneath the amphitheatre, his wound cleaned and no longer bleeding. He looked even more determined than he had done before, and he faced his opponent with increased vigour.

Hunter was so caught up in the action, that he was leaning forward in his seat, and gripping the low wall in front of them with such a great force, that his knuckles had turned white.

"Come on," he was muttering repeatedly under his breath as he watched, "Come on, Thad."

"Hunt," Sebastian tried to calm him by placing a hand on his arm, but the other boy didn't even appear to register his presence, in fact, he tightened his grip on the wall when the Murmillo went in for some more heavy blows.

"Yes, that's it, Thad," Hunter said, watching as the smaller boy darted around the larger fighter, and gave him a few cuts with his own sword. "Go on, Thad."

"Hunt, really…" Sebastian tried to get the other boy's attention again.

"Not now, Seb," Hunter replied, "Thad is having to make some very important tactical decisions at the moment."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and turned to Nick and Jeff.

"Seriously, you two can sit there and be all coupley," he complained, "Yet I've managed to lose Hunter's attention to some tactical decisions, I mean, how can they be more interesting than me?"

"I have no idea," Nick said quickly, and then he turned back to whispering with Jeff.

"Fine," Sebastian huffed, turning back to Hunter. "Hunter, dearest," he said in the most sickly sweet tone he could manage, "I think the sun is getting to me, and if I stay out in this heat any longer, I may just collapse."

"Of course, Seb," Hunter nodded, clearly paying no attention to the other boy at all.

"And I also think I'm going to move in with Nick and Jeff," Sebastian carried on regardless, wondering how long it would take for Hunter to notice him, "Nick says it's okay, but I don't think he realises that I plan to run away with Jeff at some point."

"How nice," Hunter said, his eyes watching Thad's every move as he darted around the arena.

However, despite Sebastian's jests, Nick was not going to stand for that joke about running away with Jeff.

"My Blondie," he said possessively, wrapping both arms around the other boy so that he was practically squashed against him, "Get your own, Sebastian."

"Nick, as lovely as your protectiveness is," Jeff said, "I can't breathe, and Sebastian looks like he's about to actual hurt himself if he laughs any harder."

"Mine," Nick reiterated, still glaring at Sebastian, but he loosened his grip on Jeff anyway, mentally thanking whatever fate had meant that his parents were sitting somewhere where they couldn't see them.

"Will you please focus?" Hunter asked in annoyance, suddenly paying attention to them, "Unless you three haven't noticed, one of our friends is currently down there, fighting some monster of a man who is double his size."

Sebastian quickly stopped laughing, Nick gulped, and Jeff went pale. They'd all been messing about so that they wouldn't have to think about the danger that Thad was facing, but now they were being forced to watch the fight again.

Jeff looked nervously down into the arena, just in time to see the Murmillo hit Thad with the edge of his shield, and to send the smaller boy stumbling across the sawdust. He shivered unconsciously as a chill rushed through him and he was reminded that if Nick hadn't bought him on the day of the auctions, he would have been one of those fighters down there in the arena. He could have been one of those who died down there. He tightened his grip on Nick's fingers and the other boy squeezed back tightly, clearly thinking about the same thing.

Nick could sense that the end of the fight was drawing near; both gladiators were becoming tired and weary from the constant darting about and avoiding blows from the other's weaponry. The Murmillo was tiring faster though, his shield was heavier and weighing him down more, as well as his lack of agility, meaning that Thad was now almost dancing circles around him. But it was also clear that Thad was exhausted as well, he had a few new cuts on his upper arms, and one across the back of his legs, but he didn't appear to be going anywhere without a proper fight to the bitter end.

The Murmillo lurched forwards, slashing at Thad with his sword, and swinging his shield down as well, but Thad was too quick, and he ducked underneath the other man's blade and sent his shield flying from his hands. The force knocked the larger man from his feet, and on impact from the fall, his sword also left his hands, leaving only Thad standing above him, his own sword pointed at his throat.

Slowly, the Murmillo gave the signal that he was surrendering, and the referee hauled him to his feet, before forcing both gladiators to face the Emperor.

Now came the choice of whether the loser forfeited with his life, or was allowed to live to fight another day.

Jeff closed his eyes and attempted to block out the sound of the jeering crowd, he could hear what they were shouting; they wanted blood, and the Emperor was bound to agree with them. The blonde boy opened one eye cautiously, just in time to catch sight of the Emperor decisively giving the referee the thumbs down signal.

Death.

Jeff squeezed his eyes tightly shut again, as the cheering of the crowd rose higher and higher, until it reached its peak, and began to fall again. When he reopened his eyes, the Murmillo was lying slumped in the sawdust, while Thad was waving wildly at the crowds. In utter disgust, Jeff watched as a number of slaves ran out from the sides of the amphitheatre, and began to collect as much of the dead gladiator's blood as they could.

"What are they doing?" Jeff hissed to Nick, as he pointed to the slaves at work below them.

"Gladiator's blood is supposed to cure epilepsy," Nick explained, "So they're collecting it to sell. I'm not sure why anyone would want to buy it though." He made a face that summed up how he felt about the practice.

"At least Thad's okay," Jeff quickly changed the subject to something more positive.

Nick nodded.

"Thank goodness," he said, "And now we don't have to pay any close attention to the rest of the fights."

Jeff smiled.

"Good," he said, "Because I'd much rather be paying attention to you."

Nick blushed, as Jeff leaned in closer to him.

"We're still here, you know," Sebastian cut in sharply, "As are the rest of these spectators around us, no one wants to become ill from the cuteness that's practically radiating from you."

Nick stuck his tongue out childishly at his friend, and pulled Jeff closer to him.

"No, stop right there," Sebastian continued, "Do you see me doing that to Hunter? No, you don't. So stop being so touchy-feely with each other, otherwise I will sit in between the two of you and just make love-struck expressions towards Hunter, while you have to watch."

Both Jeff's and Nick's eyes widened, and they quickly moved a little further apart, neither of them particularly wanted to be separated by Sebastian, and they definitely did not want to witness the older boy attempting to turn into a hopeless romantic; the thought itself was mildly creepy.

* * *

"I call this meeting of The Warblers to order," Wes said, once again hitting Sebastian over the head with the gavel in order to begin the proceedings.

"Will you stop doing that?" Sebastian asked, frowning deeply and rubbing the side of his head.

"I would," Wes said, "But for some reason, out of all of the things to save from the fire, David chose this gavel, and I am going to get some sort of use out of it." He placed the gavel on the table, before addressing everyone again. "As I'm sure you've all realised, today we're joined by my father, who has agreed to help us with our cause."

"Thank you, Wes," his father nodded, "I feel that what you boys all want to achieve is a step forward for our country, as it shows that the future of this empire also wishes for a change, and that you all understand the wrongdoings that have occurred. Unfortunately, there have been many recent attempts within the Senate to get the Emperor to change his ways and his rulings, but he refuses. I fear that he is slowly being driven insane by the need for more and more power, and that he is too set in his ways to be guided in the right direction; the only way to prevent more madness is to get rid of him completely."

There was a murmur of agreement around the table at Wes' father's speech.

"I suppose that explains the rumours that have been circling around then," Kurt spoke up suddenly, "They've been making the Emperor sound as though he has completely lost all sanity. According to some of my father's clients, the Emperor was supposedly playing a lyre and singing while the city burned."

"Well, I also heard that there is a suspicion that the Emperor himself ordered the fire to be lit, just so that he could clear an area for his new palace," Sebastian added.

There were a few shocked gasps around the table, none more so than from Wes, who looked absolutely furious.

"We can no longer stand for this!" he fumed, "How could he just carelessly destroy this city for his own gain? People died in this fire! People now have nowhere to work or live because of the fire! The actions of this man sicken me; he has no care for the life of his people, only for his own greed and foolish desires. Friends, I say that we cannot allow this to continue, we must act immediately."

"Wes, calm down, it's only a rumour," David tried to intervene.

"Do not tell me to calm down, David!" Wes cried, "All rumours must start with a basis of truth somewhere, these ones included." He was so passionately arguing his cause that, in a moment of utter anger, he managed to snap the gavel in half, and the two halves flew across the table.

Sebastian actually whimpered slightly.

"I don't feel safe sitting next to Wes anymore," he said to Hunter, as he eyed the broken gavel warily, "Imagine if he'd broken that gavel over my head, I'd have never recovered."

Hunter patted his arm sympathetically.

"I won't let Wes hurt you," he promised, trying not to laugh at how terrified Sebastian appeared to be.

"That was a waste of a very good gavel," David muttered to himself, but nobody appeared to hear him at all.

"Son, do not be so hasty in your decisions," Wes' father addressed Wes calmly, "Yes, I understand that you are angry, but what can we do at this point? We have only a handful of supporters, you need to wait until this movement has grown in size, and we have the means and manpower to act upon it."

"Anyway, Wes," Nick said, "These rumours are highly unlikely, the Emperor was supposed to be at his villa in Antium at the time the fire broke out."

Slowly, Wes calmed down.

"But this does not mean that he is not going insane," he said, "His rescue efforts are motivated by the plans for his new palace, and despite the providence of shelter and food for those affected, he has decided to raise taxes to pay for it."

"Next he'll be looking for a scapegoat," Thad commented.

"Too late," Hunter replied, "He's started ordering us to round up any Christians, apparently he believes that they lit the fire."

"Christians?" Blaine asked, "Why would they want to set the city on fire?"

"The chances are that they really didn't want to set the city on fire," Wes said, "They're being framed for it."

Another murmur went around the table.

"This new development and prosecution might highlight any opposition that the Emperor has," Nick said, "If people are in danger, then they're more likely to speak out."

"Actually," Hunter said suddenly, "There have been a few negative opinions going around the barracks about the Emperor, I could attempt to find out where they originated from and report back?"

"Yes, that would be very useful," Wes said, "We need to concentrate on building up our support, especially if they are close to the Emperor and hold a position of power."

They eventually concluded the meeting with the decision to wait until they had more support for further action, and everyone was just standing up to leave, when Nick cleared his throat loudly.

"Just to take everyone's minds away from the negativity we've discussed today," he said, as everyone turned to look at him, "Jeff and I have some good news to announce."

"I bet Jeff's pregnant," Sebastian leant over and whispered to Hunter, who smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Shh," he hissed, although he did have to stifle a laugh at the suggestion, "Don't ruin their moment."

"Yes, Nick and Jeff, what is it?" Wes gave them permission to continue, while glaring at Sebastian, who paled when he realised that Wes had overheard him.

"Well, I've asked Jeff to marry me," Nick said, "And he accepted." He grinned happily and slipped an arm around the blonde next to him, as the room erupted into cheers and calls of congratulations.

Jeff blushed at the sudden attention and tried to hide himself behind Nick, which failed due to the height difference. He could see Seb smirking at him, he didn't know why, but he imagined that it wasn't because of something innocent.

"Congratulations," Wes said, as he said goodbye to both Nick and Jeff at the door, "I hope you find a way to go through with this plan as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Wes," Nick said gratefully, as he and Jeff stepped out of the door, "We'll see you again soon."

"Of course," Wes said, "I'll get a message through to Sebastian in the next few days."

Both Nick and Jeff nodded, and then began to hurry back towards the Emperor's palace. They were so wrapped up in each other, that they barely registered anybody else around them. In fact, if Jeff hadn't been leaning into Nick so that he could hear what he was saying, he might have noticed the unfamiliar face watching them from afar. And if Nick hadn't been so focused on making Jeff laugh, he might have glanced over and seen the man watching the building that they'd just emerged from, and making a note of its location.

But neither of them turned around, so neither of them saw.

* * *

"I wish my father was more accepting," Sebastian said, as he and Hunter were walking through the palace towards Sebastian's private rooms, "Then we wouldn't have to keep looking over our shoulders whenever we're out in public."

"Nick and Jeff have managed so far," Hunter pointed out, "I'm pretty sure that we can too."

"Yes, but Nick's parents pay no attention to Nick, and they just leave him to his own devices, whereas my father's always nagging me about starting a career and settling down by now."

"Too much responsibility?" Hunter asked with a smirk, "Because we all know that you don't do 'responsible', do you?"

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, and you're making fun of me, how is this fair?" Sebastian pouted, pushing the other boy playfully.

Hunter laughed, and gave Sebastian a shove in return.

"You are not going to win this one," Sebastian said, pushing Hunter even harder than previously.

Before long, the two boys had collapsed against the corridor walls in fits of laughter, having actually forgotten what they'd found so funny in the first place.

"Hunt, can you hear someone?" Sebastian asked suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper as he looked around nervously.

Hunter shook his head, and both boys were silent as they tried to listen out for any noises.

"…no need to worry about them anymore," a new voice said, loud enough for Hunter and Sebastian to hear a snatch of their conversation.

"That's my father!" Sebastian said hurriedly, quickly pulling Hunter up from where he was sitting against the wall, "And it sounds like he's heading this way."

"In here," Hunter suggested, ushering Sebastian into a darkened alcove, just a little further down the corridor. There wasn't much space, and the boys found that they had to be as close together as possible to risk not being seen. Silently, they waited to hear the rest of the conversation.

"Why not?" a second voice asked, easily being recognised as that of the Emperor.

"I have my methods," Sebastian's father spoke again, "And I was informed just a few days ago that they've found their hiding place. I say that if we send in soldiers tonight, then that man and his son won't be troubling you again."

"The punishment for treason is death," the Emperor said, "And I can't have criminals getting away with escape so easily. Yes, I'll order the men to be sent out tonight after dark."

"Very good, your grace," Sebastian's father said, and the smirk could almost be heard in his voice.

Sebastian looked at Hunter in a panic.

"We've got to do something!" he cried, "Wes is in danger!"

* * *

**A/N: So, the beginning of the end...**

**Historical Points:**

**1. In this story, the Emperor uses the thumbs-down signal to mean death to the loser, however, there are still debates about whether thumbs-down meant death or do not kill him; I've used the idea that it means death, just because that is the fact I was originally taught.**

**2. All of the rumours or statements that the Warblers give about Nero's whereabouts during the fire are all Roman ideas. Popular legend has always claimed that Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned, however, fiddles were not invented until centuries later. It is likely that this stems from rumours at the time, in which it was said that the Emperor played the lyre and sung the ****_Sack of Ilium_**** instead, this was claimed by Roman historians ****_Suetonius_**** and ****_Cassius Dio_****, both of whom also said that Nero was the arsonist. However, Nick's statement that Nero was at Antium comes from ****_Tacitus_****, who said that the rumours were all false.**

**3. The mention of Christians as scapegoats here, is also true. One of Nero's most infamous deeds, was the murdering of huge numbers of Christians in blame for the fire, and this is the point at which most historians deem him to have gone completely insane.**

**3. Hunter's suggestion about looking into opposition in the Praetorian Guard will have a greater meaning later on...**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought. Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: So, here's yet another chapter for you to, hopefully, enjoy :) I have to say though, after this chapter there will only be two more and then an epilogue, which is kinda sad, because this is my first fanfic and it's almost at an end! Oh, and enjoy Sebastian in this one, and if you're wondering where Niff are for the majority of it, don't worry, they'll have their moment very soon.**

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed :) We made it over 60 reviews, which is wonderful!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"We've got to do something!" Sebastian cried, "Wes is in danger!"

"Seb, we can't just rush over there now," Hunter said, "You heard what your father said, he's got people all over the place watching out for him. We need to do this with the least attention possible."

"You mean disguises?" Sebastian looked rather excited at the prospect.

"Well, something like that," Hunter replied, wondering why the other boy was suddenly so enthusiastic.

"Come on then," Sebastian grabbed Hunter's hand and practically hauled him off towards his rooms.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hunter was standing outside the closed door of Sebastian's bedroom, while the other boy was sorting out his disguise.

"It's taking you an awfully long time," Hunter called, knocking on the door, "What are you putting on?"

"One minute!" Sebastian called back, his voice sounding muffled.

True to his word, a minute later, the door was flung open, and Hunter was speechless.

"Sebastian…when I said disguise I meant put on some clothing that didn't scream upper class," he faltered, "I wasn't exactly expecting you to go all out on this."

Sebastian grinned and spun around.

"How do I look?" he asked, grinning like an idiot.

"Er, different?" Hunter tried, earning a frown from the other boy.

"Is that all?"

"What am I supposed to say," Hunter asked, "You're wearing a dress, Sebastian!"

"It's called a disguise!" Sebastian said indignantly, "The point is that no one recognises you."

"I'm more concerned about the fact that you already had a dress in there," Hunter said, grinning as Sebastian blushed, "And that it actually fits you."

"Shut it," the other boy hissed, refusing to talk about it anymore. "Now, we'd better hurry before the soldiers get to Wes first."

"Alright," Hunter said, "But do you have anything else in that room that I should know about?" The way he said it made it sound slightly suggestive, and Sebastian blushed yet again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, heading towards the door.

Hunter laughed as he watched the other boy get embarrassed.

"You weren't like this when you were talking about what Nick and Jeff had been doing," he pointed out, as Sebastian tried to ignore him and hurried from the room. "Hey, Sebastian, wait for me!" he called, earning himself a strange look from a nearby slave, who could only see a figure in a dress. "I mean, where has Sebastian gone?" Hunter corrected himself, and started looking around wildly.

He waited until the slave had rounded the corner, and then he ran after Sebastian.

"Did you seriously just yell at me?" Sebastian asked, looking highly unimpressed.

"I didn't think," Hunter defended himself, "I'm sorry."

"I think it's probably best if we don't speak for a bit," Sebastian said, watching as Hunter frowned.

"If you just want to ignore me, then why am I going with you?" he asked, as Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"I'm not ignoring you," he said, "But I don't exactly sound like a woman, and so it's better if I just don't talk, so that I won't draw attention to myself."

"Because you're obviously not doing that anyway," Hunter muttered, earning himself a smack on the arm. "You're not a very well mannered young lady either, are you?" He laughed at his own joke, while Sebastian just glared at him.

"I'm pretty sure it's polite for the gentleman to offer the lady their arm," he retorted.

Hunter continued to laugh, but offered his arm to Sebastian nevertheless.

"Would you care to walk with me, Sebastina?" he asked with a mischievous grin, purposely altering the other boy's name.

"Call me Sebastina one more time, and I will slap you so hard that you'll…"

His sentence was lost in Hunter's laughter.

* * *

"I can't believe I was laughing about this earlier," Hunter muttered, as he and Sebastian made their way through the overcrowded back alleys in the Subura. "Wes, his father and David are all in grave danger, and I was laughing at you in a dress."

"Well, I'm glad you've come to your senses now," Sebastian said dryly, as they had to avoid yet another beggar, who tried to launch himself at them.

They were nearing Wes' hiding place now, but neither of them had ever been there that late at night before, and it appeared that the darker side of the city was all out in force. Sebastian was glad it was just him and Hunter there, if Nick and Jeff had come with them, the other boys would mostly have been mortified with the types of characters they'd already come across. Being dressed as a woman wasn't helping Sebastian in any way either.

Soon, they were standing in front of the door to the hiding place, and Hunter quickly knocked; three short knocks and then two longer ones to signal that it was one of the Warblers.

Cautiously, the door opened, and Wes peered out.

"Sorry, I think you've got the wrong…wait, Sebastian?" he said, looking curiously at his friend. "Why are you wearing a dress?"

"It's a long story," Hunter cut in, "We need to speak to you urgently."

Wes sensed that something was desperately wrong, so he opened the door and ushered the other boys inside. They found Wes' father and David inside, already seated on their two threadbare couches.

"What's wrong?" David asked, immediately noticing the looks of worry on their faces. "And why is Sebastian in a dress?"

"It's a disguise," Sebastian said hurriedly, "But that isn't the point, the point is that you all need to leave here as soon as possible."

"Why?" Wes' father asked, still not looking as though he fully understood.

"My father has told the Emperor to send soldiers here immediately, they intend to arrive under the cover of darkness," Sebastian explained, "Somehow he found out about this place."

"Alright, we'd better start packing," Wes' father clapped his hands together, and David disappeared into an adjoining room to start gathering their belongings.

"Where can we go?" Wes asked, "We have no other plans for hiding."

There was a pause as they all tried to think of somewhere.

"I know a small place," Sebastian said suddenly, "It's been empty for years, and I remember finding it once when I was younger. It's completely out of the way of the main streets, and is down another alley in the outer Subura."

"We'll go there then," Wes' father decided, as David re-emerged carrying bags with their belongings in, and began to head towards the front door.

"Wait, we can't leave by the front entrance," Hunter said suddenly, "Apparently Sebastian's father has people on the lookout, if they see you leaving, they'll just follow. Is there a back door?"

Wes shook his head.

"There's only the window at the back," he said, "But we might all fit through that if we tried."

"We'll have to use that then," Hunter decided, leading the entire operation as though it were a military exercise.

"I'll go first," David offered, "And then someone can pass out the bags to me."

"Alright," Hunter said, as he and Sebastian gave David a helping hand up to the window, and then there was a muffled thud as he landed on the other side. "All okay?" Hunter checked, as he began to lift up the first bag.

"All good," David's hushed voice floated in through the window, "It's not too much of a drop. Have you got the first bag there?"

"Yes, it's just being passed out now, can you see it?"

"I've got it."

"Good, here's the second."

"Anymore?"

"No, that's it. We're sending Wes' father over now."

As Hunter's voice disappeared, the figure of Wes' father filled the window and, within seconds, had joined David on the ground in the alleyway. Next, came Wes, who managed to make jumping out of a small window look remarkably graceful.

The same, however, could not be said for Sebastian, who went to climb out next.

"Why did you make me wear a dress?" his indignant voice could be heard clearly.

"I didn't, you chose the dress," Hunter sighed heavily, "Now get on with it."

"Do you know how difficult it is to do this in a dress?"

"No, I don't, but I do know that if you don't hurry up, I will not hesitate to just push you."

"Alright, I'm going," Sebastian huffed, clearly not wanting to be pushed, as he quickly launched himself out of the window and landed on the cobbles as silently as possible. Hunter followed shortly after, years of military training meant that he made light work of the short jump from the window to the street, and he landed with barely any noise at all.

"So, Seb, which way?" he asked, once they were all ready to depart.

"This way, I think," he said, sounding a little uncertain, "It'd be easy with a light."

"We're supposed to be doing this as unnoticeably as possible, Seb," Wes pointed, "We can't afford to give you a lamp."

"We don't need one," David said suddenly, glancing behind him, and therefore causing everyone to do the same. On the horizon was the glowing silhouette of a small band of soldiers, their presence heralded by the bright flaming torches they were carrying. "We've got enough light from them."

"We have to keep moving," Wes' father said, "They'll be upon us soon enough if we don't head off now."

"Alright," Sebastian said finally, taking over the leadership from Hunter, "We need to take the second alley on the right."

"Seb," Wes hissed suddenly, as they trudged up the slope towards their destination.

"What?"

"We're trying to be undiscovered, would you mind just leading the way and not giving a full commentary?"

Sebastian huffed in annoyance.

"Fine."

Wes nodded, and then allowed Sebastian to continue leading them again.

They found the alley he wanted, and quickly headed down it. It was even murkier than the last, and dipped steeply at one end, so that they stumbled on the cobbles in the darkness. At one point, Hunter thought they'd lost Sebastian when he quickly headed up another alley, but before long, they were just a few streets away from their destination.

"It's just up that hill," Sebastian said, pointing up to where the houses and blocks of flats sat in crooked rows across the hillside, the alleys and streets leading up to it were twisted and steep; a thoroughly unappealing landscape.

They came to the end of one alleyway, and it meant that they'd now have to continue for the next part of their journey out on the main street. Carefully, Hunter peered around the sharp corner, gauging the road ahead for any signs of movement. Within seconds, he'd withdrawn and flattened himself against the alleyway wall, motioning for the others to do the same.

"What's wrong?" Sebastian hissed.

"Street watchman," Hunter hissed back, "Fortunately, the rest of the street is completely dark, so while Sebastian and I distract him, the rest of you need to sneak past without him seeing you, and head to the next alley."

"Alright," Wes nodded, as he, his father and David readied themselves to move.

"How are we going to distract him?" Sebastian asked.

Hunter smiled knowingly.

"Just follow my lead," he said, "And keep your head down, you may be wearing a dress, but you don't look very feminine."

Sebastian looked mildly offended at how little faith the other boy had in his disguise, but he allowed Hunter to wrap an arm around him and guide him out into the open.

They made it a few yards, before the light of the watchman's lamp was thrust in front of their faces; they were lucky it was a cheap and poorly made lamp, and the light was not thrown far enough into the street for their friends to be illuminated.

"Who goes there?" the watchman demanded, as Hunter raised his eyes to meet the other man's.

"I'm escorting this young lady," he lied smoothly, his confident tone daring the watchman to doubt him, "She wishes to go to the Quirinal Hill, and didn't want to cross the Subura alone."

"A lot of unsavoury characters around here, ain't there?" the watchman nodded gruffly, "A lady shouldn't be out this time of night."

"Well, she wouldn't be if she didn't have to," Hunter replied, "But she received word from her brother that her father was ill, and the messenger left before she could go with him. She's headed to his house now."

"Ah, right," the watchman nodded again, "But be careful, won't you? There's them fugitives around here somewhere."

It was Hunter's turn to nod, and he maintained the solemn expression on his face.

"Of course," he said, "I promised this lady I'd see her home safe, and I intend to make good on that promise."

The watchman lowered the lamp from face height, and bade them pass.

Once they were out of both earshot and sight of the watchman, they crossed over to the alley where the others were waiting for them.

"Let's go," Sebastian said, assuming the lead again, as he took them up a few more winding alleys; the increasing gradient indicating that they were getting closer to their destination.

Finally, they found themselves standing outside a rundown one storey building, which looked marginally out of place in between the blocks of flats all around it.

"Here we are," Sebastian said, approaching the door purposefully and giving it a quick shove so that it opened, before ducking inside.

Wes' father entered next, with his son and David following him, and Hunter bringing up the rear.

Inside the building smelt like damp and the furniture looked a little worse for wear, but Wes decided that with a quick clean, it would become reasonably inhabitable.

"Well, we'd better be getting back," Hunter said, "Before someone notices our absence, most probably Nick or Jeff."

David laughed.

"I doubt they'll be spending the night wondering about your whereabouts," he said, as Sebastian smirked at his suggestion.

"Leave the two boys alone," Wes' father chided them, "I think they make a wonderful pair. Thank you for your help, boys." He smiled at Sebastian and Hunter, who both nodded, and then hurried out of the door.

"We'd better take a different way back," Sebastian said, "In case we come across that watchman again, I don't fancy explaining why you haven't delivered me to the Quirinal Hill as you promised."

Hunter grinned.

"I can take you there if you really want," he said, as Sebastian smacked his arm.

"No, I want to go home," the other boy said, "There are better things I could be doing at this time of night, than walking through alleys in the city." He winked at Hunter. "Like spending time with this really wonderful soldier I know."

Hunter smiled and wrapped an arm around Sebastian's waist.

"Oh, and do I know this soldier?" he asked.

"Probably," Sebastian said, leaning into Hunter's side, "I think you'd like him."

Hunter didn't reply, he just laughed.

They walked in silence for a while, before Hunter spoke again.

"Sebastian."

"Yes?"

"This feels really weird with you dressed as a woman."

* * *

They saw Wes' old hiding place before they actually reached the building itself; the light from the soldier's torches set the sky ablaze with a fierce, burning brightness.

Sebastian shivered unconsciously.

"I'm so glad we didn't leave it any later to warn them," he remarked, as they crossed into another alley to avoid the soldiers.

Hunter murmured his agreement; the thought of having not made it to Wes' house on time made his blood run cold. But the frustrated shouts of the soldiers as they discovered the house was empty did make him smirk a little.

"They're not here!" the annoyed voice of the centurion rang out into the cold night, " Move out, men! They're not here, somebody must have tipped them off! Move out!"

There was a large clatter as men in armour retreated from the house, and began to return to the barracks at a steady marching pace.

"We'd better hurry," Hunter hissed quickly, "It's already early morning, and when your father and the Emperor hear of this news, there'll be a huge fallout."

Sebastian nodded.

"I'm hoping to avoid my father for a little while," he said, "Just until this blows over, or something else takes its place."

And little did Sebastian know it, but another occurrence was just about to change everything completely.

* * *

Jeff was pacing in his and Nick's shared room, feeling slightly hurt and a little disappointed. Nick had left an hour or two ago, claiming to have been summoned by his father for a meeting or something as equally boring and political as that, and had told Jeff that he'd meet him back in their room. Except Jeff had got bored and had gone to see if he could find Sebastian or Hunter, only to discover that Hunter was involved in a training exercise, and that Sebastian wasn't anywhere to be found. It was only after enquiring about Sebastian's whereabouts, did a slave girl inform Jeff that he'd just left the palace with Nick in tow. Therefore, Jeff was left feeling rather annoyed that Nick had lied to him, as well as worried about where Sebastian had taken him.

Horrible possibilities started to run through his head. What if Nick had a secret meeting with someone without him? What if Nick had found someone else?

That was the thought that concerned Jeff the most; the idea that Nick had found someone better than him. He'd tried to convince himself that Nick would never do something like that to him. He trusted Nick not to do something like that, but he couldn't escape the dreadful worry in the back of his mind.

He'd just forced himself to sit down on the nearest bed and stop pacing, when the door opened and Nick entered the room.

The first thing Nick noticed was the rather disheartened expression on the blonde boy's face, and in his rush to comfort him and find out what was wrong, he forgot to lock the door behind him.

"Jeffy, what's the matter?" he asked, sitting down on the bed and wrapping an arm around the other boy's waist.

At first, Jeff just shook his head, and then he eventually looked up into Nick's eyes.

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked, watching as Nick's expression went from concerned to confused, "You said you were meeting your father, but in reality, you went somewhere with Sebastian."

Slowly, Nick understood, and he smiled.

"I lied because I wanted to surprise you," he said, raising his hand and unfurling it to reveal a plain gold ring. "I was buying this for you; I wanted to make our betrothal completely and properly official."

Jeff's eyes were now wide with delight, and if he smiled any more than he was, he was in danger of splitting his face in two.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" he asked softly.

Nick nodded.

"Yes, it is," he said, "And I also bought you a chain to put the ring on, because as much as I want you to wear it so that everybody knows you're mine, I don't think it would go down very well with some people." Jeff made a face as he thought of Nick's parents in particular. "However, I did want to do this, before you take it off and put it on the chain," Nick continued, taking Jeff's hand and slipping the ring onto his finger. "There, perfect fit."

"It's beautiful, Nicky!" Jeff cried, throwing his arms around the other boy's neck, "I love it, thank you! And I love you as well!"

"I love you too, Jeff," Nick laughed, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist, and pulling him closer.

"But wait," Jeff leaned back, "I need to get you a ring as well."

Nick smiled and leaned in to give Jeff a quick kiss.

"I proposed, therefore I give you the ring," he said, "Now, here's the chain." He handed over the thin metal chain, and Jeff regarded it almost sadly.

"I know it's for the best," he said, "But I don't really want to take it off." Nick smiled, and squeezed his hand reassuringly as he slipped the ring off his finger and onto the chain instead, before fastening it around his neck.

"One day, that ring will stand for marriage and not just a betrothal," Nick said, kissing Jeff lightly, "And that day can't come soon enough."

Jeff responded by pulling Nick back in for another kiss, and then tangling his hands in the other boy's hair. Nick slowly pushed Jeff backwards so that he was lying down on the bed, continuing to kiss the other boy as he did so. Nick shifted so that he could attach his lips to Jeff's neck, spurred on by the fact that Jeff was suddenly struggling to say anything coherent.

Unfortunately for both boys, Nick managed to elicit a loud moan from Jeff, which completely muffled the sound of the door being roughly thrown open.

"I love you," Nick said, as he detached himself from Jeff's neck to speak for a second.

"I love you too," Jeff replied, pulling Nick down by the back of his neck so that he could kiss him again, effectively drowning out the sound of footsteps as someone entered their room.

They were unaware of the danger they were in, before it was too late.

"Nicholas! What is going on here?"

* * *

**A/N: I apologise for yet another cliffhanger, but I do have the next few chapters already written, so the update should be soon (there's a small chance that it'll be Wednesday morning, if not, it'll be Thursday instead)! **

**Historical Points:**

**1. The Romans did actually use betrothal/engagement rings, but they were more likely to be to show off the wealth of a family than actually for symbol of love and commitment.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought. Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter, and after this, there will be one more chapter and the epilogue. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story :)**

**Warning: Okay, there's a fair few warnings for this chapter. First, slight language warning, depending on how you view the words 'hell' and 'damn', but there is literally two uses of the former and one of the latter, so it's not that severe. Secondly, I apologise for the things that Nick's father will be saying in this chapter, it is necessary to the plot line, but that does not mean that they are particularly nice things. Also, while what he says is not directly homophobic, it could be classed in that way, and therefore I want to say that even though I have written his character this way, I do not agree with him in any way at all! Thirdly, there's a violence warnign as well because of Nick's father.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

"Nicholas! What is going on here?"

The sound of Nick's father's voice immediately broke the two boys apart, panic and fear evident on both their faces when they saw how the older man's expression was contorted with anger.

Before either boy could react, Nick's father had crossed over to the bed, and seized Jeff by the collar of his tunic. The force of his actions threw Nick to the floor, while he slammed Jeff into the nearest wall, knocking the air from him. Before Jeff had a chance to breath again, he found himself choking slightly as the older man's arm was pressed into his throat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my son?" Nick's father thundered, his eyes narrowing and his breathing becoming highly irregular as he worked himself into a dangerous rage. "I saw you two together just then, what have you done to him? Answer me, boy, what lies have you been feeding him to make him act like that?"

Jeff couldn't speak, in his panic, his throat had gone dry and he'd lost the ability to move or comprehend anything but the hateful words that were coming from the man in front of him.

"Leave him alone!" Nick shouted, throwing himself at his father, and attempting to wrestle his arms away from Jeff.

"Get off me, boy!" his father yelled angrily, catching Nick across the cheek with the back of his hand. The impact caused Nick to fall to the ground with a thud, clutching the side of his face. Nick moved to look at his hand, and was horrified to discover blood covering his fingers. He raised his hand to his cheek again, and realised that his father's ring had cut him from below his eye to just beside his mouth.

At the sight of the blood, Jeff let out a strangled scream of Nick's name and attempted to free himself so that he could rush to the other boy's aid, but Nick's father just threw him back against the wall again.

"I knew we should never have bought you," the older man continued, "I knew you were a waste of money the moment I set my eyes on you, but I bought you because my son wanted you, and look how you've repaid my kindness. I don't know what tricks you've been using on my family, I don't know how you've cursed all of us, but I do know that I won't be letting you do it again."

"Don't touch him," Nick was back on his feet, and he caught his father's hand as he went to slap Jeff.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," Nick's father said viciously, knocking Nick flying again, so that he landed in an unmoving heap against the opposite wall.

"Nick!" Jeff screamed again, suddenly finding the will inside himself again to move, "Don't you dare touch him again!" He directed his anger at Nick's father, reaching out and punching the man square in the nose, before attempting to run to see if Nick was hurt.

"Get away from my son," Nick's father had recovered from the blow quickly, and had grabbed Jeff again, "I don't want you anywhere near him ever again! You are not to see him; you're not to speak to him; you're not even to think about him."

"You can't make me do that," Jeff said bravely, "You can't force me to do anything!"

"I think you're forgetting how powerful I am," Nick's father hissed menacingly, "I can do a lot more damage than you can. I'm going to fix this problem you've caused, and I'm going to start by getting rid of you."

"Father," Nick cried, from where he was still crumpled on the floor, "You can't do this, I love Jeff!"

"No, you don't," Nick's father sneered, "He's making you think that, he's lying to you Nicholas, he doesn't love you and you certainly don't love him. Once he's gone, you'll forget about him, and you can live your life normally."

"I don't want to live my life without Jeff," Nick pleaded, "I love him, Father, I love him more than I love anyone else in this world. I love him more than I love you and Mother."

Nick's father's eyes blazed with anger.

"You always were ungrateful," he said, releasing Jeff for a second so that he could approach his son. He aimed a harsh kick at Nick's stomach, and looked satisfied when his son groaned in pain. "You never did show any thanks for the way we raised you. We raised you to be a man, Nicholas, and you're not that at all, are you? You're weak, Nicholas, you can't even take a beating, then get up and face me again." He kicked Nick again, and the small brunette whimpered, curling in on himself as tears started to fall. Nick's father laughed. "Don't cry," he taunted, "Crying is a sign of weakness, Nicholas, you know that."

"Leave him alone!" Jeff yelled, shoving the older man away from Nick and into the nearest wall. Nick's father connected with the wall with a satisfying thud, but within seconds, had overpowered Jeff again.

"What the hell is this?" Nick's father tone had become even more menacing, which neither boy had thought possible, as he pulled out the chain from underneath Jeff's tunic. "Where did you get this boy? Did you steal it?" He turned the ring over roughly in his hands.

"He didn't steal it," Nick yelled, "I gave it to him, Father, because I love him. And you know what, I'm just going to tell you, because it can't get any worse than this, but Jeff and I are going to get married soon, because I love him and he loves me."

Nick's father let out a cold, hollow laugh.

"You're not getting married," he said, "Because I forbid you to see each other ever again, there's no way for you to get married now. Anyway, I would never have given you my permission."

"I don't need your permission!" Nick practically screamed, "I've never needed it and I've never wanted it! The only things I ever wanted from you were some love and attention, but you never gave it to me."

"See," Jeff hissed, "I love Nick, I actually care about him. You don't give a damn what happens to him, as long as it sits well with your own political agenda or your idea of his future. You don't deserve someone like Nick as your son, you never have and you never will; he's too good for you!"

"Watch your tongue, boy!" Nick's father snapped, "You have no right to be telling me how to manage my own family."

"You can't tell me what to do," Jeff said, "I'm not a slave anymore, the Emperor saw to that. I'm a citizen, I have rights."

Nick's father laughed his awful laugh again.

"Again, you're forgetting how much power I have," he said, "If I say that you'll never see my son again, I mean it." He sneered as he ripped the chain from around Jeff's neck and threw it onto the floor at Nick's feet. "You're going to get out of here, and you're never going to come back."

"You can't make me," Jeff said stubbornly.

"Father, don't do this," Nick pleaded, trying to get to his feet, but receiving another blow to the side from his father's foot.

"You can't tell me what I can and can't do, neither of you can," Nick's father said, aiming a solid punch at Jeff's stomach, so that the blonde doubled over in pain. "Guards!" he yelled loudly for the soldiers that he knew would be passing by.

Nick felt tears falling as he sobbed from his position on the floor. This was really happening, his father was really sending Jeff away. They were going to be separated from each other, and Nick's didn't think he could live with that. From the look on Jeff's face, it appeared that he was having the same thoughts.

At the sound of the heavy footsteps of the approaching guards, Nick found one last ounce of strength to throw himself at Jeff and kiss him one last time, before he was flung away by his father.

"Take this boy and throw him as far away from the palace as possible," Nick's father ordered to the two soldiers, "If he ever shows his face here again, do not hesitate to arrest him."

"Very good, sir," one of the soldiers spoke, as he cast a glance at Nick, and then took Jeff's arm.

Nick thanked whichever gods were listening that the guard in front of him was Hunter.

"Nick, I love you!" Jeff called, as he was dragged away down the corridor.

"I love you too, Jeff!" Nick yelled back hoarsely, earning himself another slap from his father.

"Are you deliberately trying to ruin this family and everything I've worked for?" his father asked furiously, "You've always tried to oppose me, haven't you?"

"Only because I don't agree with any of the decisions you make for me," Nick said bitterly, "They should be my decisions, such as who I marry, or what job I take, but you always control me. I don't want you controlling my life anymore; I don't want you to be my father anymore either." Hot tears rolled down his cheeks in his utter anger at his father's actions.

"I make these decisions for you because you're not responsible enough to make them yourself," his father replied, "I think your foolish associations with that boy are proof enough of that."

"I love Jeff, Father, when are you going to see the truth of it?"

"There is no truth in it, Nicholas, you know that," his father sneered, "I'm sure a stint in the army will make you forget about him completely."

Nick paled in horror. The army was the one place he'd never wanted to end up. His father had always threatened to make him join, but every time he'd assumed that he'd have the choice between a political or military career. Clearly that was now no longer the case, and he had no choice in the matter. Maybe his father would draft him in as a tribune, so that he'd be out in a few years, and onto politics.

"And I'm not talking about some fancy officer's rank either," his father continued, as though he could read his son's mind, "I'm talking a regular soldier. You'll be serving a minimum of twenty five years like every other man in the Roman Empire. I doubt your boy'll even recognise you once you come back." He laughed that cruel laugh again. "If you come back, that is."

Nick clenched his hands into fists.

"You wouldn't dare," he said in a low voice, his eyes blazing angrily, "You'd need me to sign anyway, and I'll never do that."

His father smirked.

"My signature will be enough," he said, "And if it's not, yours wouldn't be hard to fake."

"You know what?" Nick suddenly exploded, "I'm actually ashamed to have to call you my father, you're an utter disgrace to the empire, and you're a disgrace to me. Have you ever considered that maybe I already know what I want to do with my life? I want to marry Jeff, and I want to become a poet. Yes, a poet! I don't want to be in the army. Do you think that sort of lifestyle appeals to me? Because it doesn't. I want to be a poet, that's my decision, and it's final."

"A poet? You think poetry is a fit way to spend your time?" Nick's father laughed again, "You're not going to be a poet, my boy. I've had your military sign-up papers in my rooms for weeks now; I was considering when to offer you the choice between the army and politics. I guess that choice has been forfeited today, I'll be signing those papers as soon as possible now."

He got up to leave, and headed for the door. He paused and looked back at his son.

"You can't do this!" Nick screamed one last time.

His father just gave him a cruel smile.

"I can and I will, Nicholas, just you wait." And then he was gone, his cold footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Nick curled up on his bed and cried; Jeff's ring and chain clutched in his fist by his heart. He raised the ring to his mouth and kissed it lightly. For the moment, it was the only thing that he had left of Jeff.

* * *

A while later, Hunter appeared in the doorway, he didn't even have to knock, because Nick's door was still flung wide open and the boy himself was still lying on his bed crying.

"Nick," Hunter said softly, closing the door behind him and sitting down on one of the chairs. "Jeff's gone to Wes' place. I told Sebastian what happened briefly, and he's taken Jeff there so that you can still go and see him. He's pretty shaken up with it all, but he was more concerned about leaving you with your father. He said you were pretty badly beaten up; Jeff's got a few bruises himself, but he said you were worse. Are you okay?"

Nick lifted his head so that Hunter could see the long cut down one side of his face, and then lifted his tunic to show the bruising across his stomach.

"Nick, you can't stay here any longer," Hunter said urgently, the concern written clearly across his face, "It isn't safe here for you." He got up suddenly. "Wait here, I'm going to run and get you a bowl of water, and a cloth to wash that cut."

"I don't plan to go anywhere," Nick said sadly, rolling over again on his bed and letting the other boy leave.

Hunter returned in barely any time at all, and he made Nick sit up so that he could carefully wash the dried blood away from the wound.

"It's not too deep," he remarked, "It should heal reasonably quickly, and is unlikely to scar."

"Thank you," Nick whispered, still clutching the ring tightly to his chest.

"It's no problem," Hunter replied, "You're a friend, Nick, and I take injustices to my friends very personally."

Nick tried to give the other boy a weak smile, but it failed.

"Hunter," he said suddenly, "My father is forcing me to join the army. I know that you're okay with that lifestyle but I'm definitely not, and I can't see any way out of it." He looked at his friend for help.

"Has your father signed the papers yet?" Hunter asked.

Nick shook his head.

"I don't know, he hadn't when he came in here," he said, "But he said that he was going to do it immediately. He said he'll forge my signature if he has to, is that legal?"

Hunter gave him a sympathetic look.

"Technically it's illegal," he said, "But if you report it, who are the military officials going to believe, you, or your father, who's had years of military experience, and now occupies a senior position within the Senate."

Nick's face fell.

"I can't get out of it," he whispered, "He's promised me that he'll make sure I have to serve twenty five years as a minimum. He's promised me that I'll never see Jeff again. How am I supposed to survive twenty five years without Jeff? I can't even live without seeing him for a few hours."

Hunter thought for a moment. Nick was in a difficult position, he could not escape the military service if his father signed him up, and it was a criminal offence if he did not show up for training once the papers were signed. In fact, the only way to get Nick out of his current situation appeared to either get him to somewhere that wasn't under Rome's jurisdiction, or where no one would recognise him.

It was this thought that gave Hunter the only viable option that he could suggest.

"Nick, I think the only way for you and Jeff to be together, is for to you leave the country," he said, "Go somewhere, like Greece, where you won't be so subjected to Rome's laws, and where you won't be recognised."

"Leave the country?" Nick choked out, "I can't just leave, this is my home."

"Nick, I know this is a difficult decision to make," Hunter said gently, "But how much do you love Jeff?"

"He's my everything," Nick replied without hesitation, "I'd do anything for him."

"Exactly," Hunter said understandingly, "So if you want to keep him safe, and keep yourself safe, you have to leave, Nick. You have to get out of here before it's too late for both of you."

"What about The Warblers?"

"Nick, don't worry about that," Hunter said, "The truth is, I'm not sure how much longer we can keep meeting in secret; Sebastian's father discovered where we were meeting before, and it shan't be long before he discovers the new place."

Nick's face fell.

"It feels like I'm running away," he said, "It feels cowardly."

"The need for survival is not cowardly," Hunter said, "It's completely natural, and it's what you have to do if you want to stay with Jeff."

Nick let his head fall into his hands, and he sighed heavily.

"Alright," he said eventually, "I'll do it; Jeff and I will leave tonight."

Hunter nodded slowly.

"Pack your stuff up quickly, take everything that you'll need," he instructed, "I'll get Sebastian to collect you when we're ready for you to leave. Sebastian will take you to Wes' place, where you and Jeff will be given further instructions."

"Thank you," Nick said gratefully, giving Hunter a weak smile, as the other boy got up and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this," he said, "But it's for the best."

* * *

**A/N: So, no cliffhanger this time around, but I'm sorry about Nick's father, he's evil and even though I created his character, I want to reiterate that I do not agree with him in any way!**

**Historical Points:**

**1. A tribune is the Roman equivalent of an officer's rank in the army. Tribunes were chosen from 24 young men who had senatorial ambitions, and so they only served a few years, before graduating to a place in the Senate. However, Nick is actually too young to be considered for a tribune, as usually the men would be in their late twenties, and probably would have had previous military training.**

**2. Twenty five years was the minimum time that a Roman legionary soldier would be expected to serve in the army before they could retire on a pension, although obviously not all men completed twenty five years, and others extended their service in the hope of a promotion.**

**3. Greece is technically a part of the Roman Empire in the time that this story is set, however, unlike other countries, it was excluded from some of the Roman laws, and had its own laws as well. I'm unsure of whether the Roman laws on military service were actually included in Greek laws, but for the purpose of this story, let's pretend that they are.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought. Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Here we go then, the last actual chapter of this story...wow, I can't actually believe that I made it this far! Thank you so so so much to everyone who has either reviewed, favourited or followed this story :)**

**This chapter also contains the return of two familiar faces, as well as a cameo of a new one, so please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

An hour later, there was a sharp knock on the door, and Sebastian appeared.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked Nick, who was currently on his knees, stuffing sheets of paper into a small bag.

"Almost," Nick said.

He'd already packed one bag full of clothing and was now filling the other with his own prized possessions: his poems. He'd fastened Jeff's ring around his neck on the chain he'd bought, and he planned to reunite Jeff with it as soon as he saw the other boy.

"We need to leave immediately," Sebastian said, "I've convinced your father that you and I are going to the baths for some exercise, but we need to get away quickly before he changes his mind. Have you packed warm clothing?"

"I've got a few blankets," Nick said, motioning to the larger bag, as he straightened himself up and hoisted his belongings onto his back; they were heavy but not unbearably so.

"Good, because you're probably going to need them," Sebastian said, "It's heading towards night already, and it gets cold quickly out in the open. Do you have any money as well?"

"Yes, the priests at the Temple of Apollo look after it," Nick replied, "We can stop there so I can collect it, can't we?"

"Yes," Sebastian nodded, "You will need all of the money you can get hold of to pay for your passage to Greece, and to find somewhere to stay once you arrive."

Nick was taken aback by how serious Sebastian was acting, the other boy rarely went very long without cracking a joke, but today he was completely solemn and focussed on his task.

They managed to get out of the palace without any suspicions as to their purpose, and made their way towards the Temple of Apollo quickly, where the priest handed over Nick's money almost instantly. He had a good amount of it, fortunately, due to his family's social standing, and the fact that he rarely ever spent any of it.

Next, he and Sebastian headed to the Subura almost in silence. Neither boy was particularly in the mood for idle conversation, for both were too busy contemplating their futures.

Nick was worried about what was going to happen to him and Jeff. Could they survive by themselves in a new country? They'd be all alone somewhere foreign to both of them, and would be having to start over completely; could they do it? There was the language barrier as well, he could speak Greek almost fluently, but Jeff couldn't; he'd feel alienated and distant from the people they met. Yet they couldn't just stay in Rome, or Italy, the army would find them easy enough there. They'd have to go to Greece, and make the best of their new life, as much as they possibly could.

Sebastian, meanwhile, was worrying about the future of him and Hunter. What if his father reacted similarly to Nick's father? What would happen to Hunter and his military career? Sebastian could only pray that, by some miracle, everything would work out for them.

* * *

They reached Wes' hiding place just as night was beginning to fall, and a soft darkness was covering the city.

"In here," Sebastian said, ushering Nick in through the low door, and into the hall of the building.

In the few days that Wes, his father and David had been there, they'd been able to clean it up a bit. The damp smell had gone, and David had found some old material to patch up the tears in the furniture fabric.

"Wes!" Sebastian called softly, "We're here, has Hunter been around yet?"

Wes appeared almost before the words had left Sebastian's mouth, his eyes filled with concern when he saw Nick's expression and the bags he was carrying.

"It's really happening," he said sadly, "I can't believe that it's had to come to this." He paused. "Jeff's through here if you want to see him."

Nick's face lit up, and he deposited the bags on the nearest table, and rushed to find Jeff.

The blonde boy was curled up on one of the couches in the main room, his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs securely. He lifted his head at the sound of footsteps, and fairly flew from the couch as he saw that it was Nick.

"Nicky!" he cried, throwing his arms around the other boy's neck and kissing him deeply.

"Jeffy, I thought I wasn't going to see you again," Nick replied, sobbing happily as he hugged Jeff tightly.

Jeff pulled away slightly, so that he could look Nick in the eye as he spoke.

"Do we really have to go away, Nicky?" he asked, and in that moment he looked less like a fully grown seventeen year old, and more like a forlorn child.

"Yes, Jeffy," Nick replied, taking the taller boy's face in his hands, "I'm so sorry, but yes, if we want to be together, then we have to get out of here. My father is signing my military sign-up papers as we speak, which will force me to give a minimum of twenty five years service to the army, most likely as far away from you as possible. And I can't live without you, Jeff, I just can't."

"I can't live without you either, Nicky," Jeff said, as Nick reached around his own neck and unclasped the chain he was wearing.

"I have to give this back to you," he said, taking the ring and slipping it onto Jeff's finger, "And I can put this on your finger now, since there's no one to stop us anymore."

Jeff grinned and pulled Nick up for another kiss, except a loud cough from Wes interrupted them.

"We need to discuss our plan of action," he said, "And we need to get it done as quickly as possible, before your father realises that you are missing, Nick."

Everybody gathered in the main room, either standing or sprawled across a couch.

"Hunter cannot join us," Wes explained, "Because he's promised to wait at the Porta Capena so that you two get out safely. Sebastian has also gone to fetch you some horses for your journey and will meet you at the gate, while we've prepared enough food for a few days at least."

"Why?" Nick asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, "We can get a ship from the port at Ostia, surely we don't need food for more than tonight?"

"No, you're not going to Ostia," Wes shook his head, "There are too many soldiers and officials there who know your father, and therefore, will recognise you. You'll be travelling to Naples, where Sebastian has informed me that you have a couple of friends who run a boarding house, they should be able to help you find a ship with a reliable captain to take you across to Greece. Now, you must leave immediately."

"Wow, this is it," Nick said quietly, as he and Jeff took the bag of food that David was holding out for them.

"Yes," Wes said solemnly, "I'm sorry that this is the only option for you, you'll be dearly missed by all of us."

"I'm going to miss you too, Wes," Nick said, throwing his arms around the older boy, who'd always been there to protect him, yet could not change his current situation. Wes hugged him back tightly, as Nick cried softly into his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, little Nicky," he said, stroking the other boy's hair as he'd always done when Nick was much younger. "Maybe one day we'll all see each other again."

"Maybe," Nick sniffed.

"Anyway," Wes continued, "I'll always be with you, little Nicky, even if it's not physically, I'll be there watching over you and Jeff."

Nick smiled tearfully and pulled away from the hug so that he could shake Wes' father's hand.

"Good luck, son," the older man said, "Think of it as an adventure."

"Thank you, sir," Nick said gratefully, before turning to David and hugging him as well.

Before long, Nick and Jeff were standing on the doorstep, their last goodbyes having been said, and each of them loaded with bags and belongings for the journey ahead.

"We'll always be thinking and praying for you," Wes said, "Remember, Hunter and Sebastian will be waiting for you at the Porta Capena, you only have an hour or so."

Nick nodded, as he took Jeff's hand and they set off down the street; a few tears escaping each of them as they rounded the first corner and glanced back for the last time to see their friends.

* * *

As promised, Hunter and Sebastian were waiting for them at the Porta Capena with two horses in tow.

"We have to make this quick," Hunter said, "Before the guard change is over and the next shift arrives. From here, just follow the Via Appia and it should take you along the coast and down to Naples. After that, you'll have to find a ship that will take you to Greece. I assume you'll be headed for Athens?"

Nick nodded.

"We hadn't given it much thought, but that would be most likely," he said.

"Alright," Hunter replied, "You should be on your way now. We wish you every success for the future."

Just as he had done with Wes, Nick hugged Hunter tightly and thanked him for everything that he'd done for them, and then he stepped away so that Jeff could also hug the other boy.

"I'm going to miss you the most, probably, Seb," Nick said, as he threw his arms around Sebastian, "You're my oldest friend, and I'm finding it hard to deal with the fact that I might never see you again." He choked a little on the last few words as he began crying freely.

"I'm going to miss you too, Nicky-boy," Seb replied, "And of course we'll see each other again, no one is going to keep us apart forever."

"I hope you're right, Seb," Nick said, as he realised that the other boy was also crying. So they stayed like that for a while, just hugging each other and crying.

At long last, they had to separate, and while Nick climbed onto one of the horses and Hunter arranged the bags on the saddle, Sebastian pulled Jeff in for a hug as well.

"You look after him, Blondie, and make sure you don't hurt him," Seb said warningly to Jeff, "Otherwise I'll have to come and set things straight, do you understand?"

Jeff let out a tearful laugh.

"I wouldn't dream of hurting him, Seb," he said, "I promise I'll look after Nick."

"I know you will," Sebastian replied, smiling widely, "I just like scaring you sometimes."

Jeff laughed again, and then turned to mount the second horse quickly.

And then they were away, riding into the night on the cobbled road, while Sebastian slipped an arm around Hunter and they waved their friends on their way.

* * *

Nick and Jeff finally arrived at the familiar boarding house in Naples just under eight hours later, and after a night of solid riding, they were hoping that Santana had a bed spare for them to sleep in.

Nick quickly knocked on the door, and smiled to himself when he heard the sound of footsteps hurrying towards them.

"Who do you think you are, calling at this time in the morning, you should…" Santana's indignant voice floated out to them, and then trailed away once she saw that it was them, "You really do have an issue with arriving at strange times of the day, don't you?"

Nick grinned, wrapping an arm around Jeff before he fell asleep on his feet.

"I've never been so glad to see you, Santana," he said, "Is there somewhere that we could leave the horses? And then a bed wouldn't go amiss either."

"Come in, come in," Santana said, and she couldn't stop herself smiling as she watched Nick practically carry Jeff inside, "I'll get Britt out to tend to the horses, she'll be thrilled that there are some animals for her to play with."

Nick deposited Jeff onto the nearest seat in the boarding house, while Santana disappeared into the back room to find Brittany.

"I'm so tired," Jeff mumbled, as he pulled Nick down onto the seat with him and climbed into his lap so that he could curl up on the other boy. Nick laughed, wrapping his arms around Jeff's waist and kissing his forehead.

"Well, I see that you two finally got your act together," Santana interrupted them.

Nick smiled down at the boy in his lap.

"Yeah," he said, "I guess we both have our own blondes to look after, huh?"

"I guess so," Santana grinned at the mention of Brittany, "So, what are you two doing here?"

Nick's face fell at the thought of explaining everything.

"I'll make this brief," he said, "But basically, my father found out about me and Jeff, and decided to join me up for the army, except that would mean being separated from Jeff for a minimum of twenty five years, which wasn't going to happen. In the end, the only way we could think of avoiding this fate, was to get away from the jurisdiction of the Roman army, so we're leaving for Athens immediately."

"I assume that you'll need a boat then?" Santana asked.

"Yes," Nick said, "And we were hoping that you would be able to find us one with a reliable captain."

"I know just the man for the job," Santana replied without the slightest hesitation, "I'll see him as soon as it's light and fix up a passage for you both."

"Thank you, Santana," Nick said gratefully, "This means a lot to us. Now, you wouldn't happen to have a spare bed, would you?"

Santana grinned.

"What do you take me for?" she asked, "This is a boarding house, isn't it? The room you stayed in before is free, and I'm guessing that a single bed this time won't be a problem?"

"Not at all," Nick said, gathering the bags in one arm, and Jeff in the other, and then starting up the stairs.

* * *

Late the next morning, Santana woke them with the news that the captain she'd found for them was happy to have the two aboard, and would be departing for Greece as soon as the tide turned, which was likely to be in the next few hours.

They gathered up their bags, and started down to the harbour, with both Santana and Brittany in tow.

"Here we are," Santana said, halting them in front of a large ship that was docked a little away from the rest. It was a respectable looking ship, and the crew could be seen rushing around on the deck. After catching sight of them standing on the dockside, a tall man, clearly the captain himself, came down the gangway to meet them.

"So, you must be the boys from Rome that San was tell me about earlier?" the man said, shaking both Nick and Jeff's hands.

"That's us, sir," Nick said, "Thank you for agreeing to take us to Greece."

"It's no trouble," the man smiled, "Any friends of San's are friends of mine. Now, I'll leave you to say goodbye, and then we'll leave in an hour or so." He turned to walk back up the gangway, but paused halfway. "What're your names then?"

"Nick, and this is Jeff," Nick motioned to himself first, and then to Jeff beside him.

The captain nodded.

"Very good," he said, "Well, my name's Noah, and welcome aboard the Puckerman." He gestured to his ship, and then he disappeared back onto the deck.

"He's the best sailor there is in these parts," Santana said, "You'll be in Greece in no time at all."

"Thank you again," Nick said, startling the girl with a sudden hug, while Britt practically attached herself to Jeff.

"What about the horses?" the blonde girl was asking excitably, "What are you doing about the horses?"

Jeff grinned.

"We don't need the horses anymore," he said, "Why don't you and Santana keep them?"

"Really?"

"Of course, they're yours now, so make sure you give them good names, okay?"

"Oh, that's easy, I'll call them Nick and Jeff, after you two."

Britt clapped her hands together happily and bounced a little on the spot.

"Maybe we'll use them to take us to Rome one day," Santana suggested.

"Well, if you do," Nick said, "Find Sebastian, won't you, and tell him that you've seen us."

"Of course," Santana promised, "Now, have a safe trip, and if Britt and I are ever travelling through Athens, we expect a place to stay, alright?"

Both Nick and Jeff laughed.

"Our door will always be open to friends," Nick said, "Now, I guess we have to go."

The two boys picked up their belongings, and Nick slipped an arm around Jeff's waist as they walked up the gangway and onto the deck. There was a shout from one of the sailors, and then they'd raised the anchor and were sailing away.

Nick and Jeff stood at the rail, waving madly at Santana and Brittany, who were still standing on the dockside.

"Good luck, dolphins!" Brittany yelled, and this time both Nick and Jeff smiled, because that's what they were now; dolphins.

At long last, the two girls had become no more than faint specks on the horizon, and Nick and Jeff were left gazing out at the vast, blue expanse of the sea.

"This is it, Jeff," Nick said softly, reaching over and entwining his fingers with the other boy's, "This is us, starting anew somewhere else."

Jeff leaned over and kissed Nick gently.

"No, this is us, together, forever and always."

* * *

**A/N: So, that's technically the end of the actual main body of the story, so I hope you've enjoyed reading it :) The epilogue will be posted once I've also written and posted the first chapter of my new story, so there may be a longer wait for it :) Also, I hope you noticed the cameo of a certain Glee character, if you didn't, you might want to reread the chapter again :)**

**Historical Points: **

**1. Many Roman temples were not only used for worship of the gods, but instead the spoils of war were often kept there, along with people's personal possessions, in particular, any gold or money.**

**2. The Porta Capena was gate located in the Servian Wall of Rome, near the Caelian Hill - another of the seven hills of Rome. It was one of the southernmost gates of Rome, and opened onto the Via Appia (Appian Way), which was one of the most important earliest large roads that the Romans built to connect Rome with Apulia, a place in southeast Italy. It passes through Naples, which is why Nick and Jeff use it.**

**3. Ostia was the port for the city of Rome, as it was located closer to the sea, although ships could reach Rome directly by sailing up the River Tiber.**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought! Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it!**


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: Well, guys, here is the epilogue of ****_Conspiratio_****, and I hope you enjoy it! I can't believe that I've finally finished my first fanfic, so this is very very very exciting for me! I want to thank everybody who has reviewed, favourited and followed this story, it makes me really pleased that people are enjoying my writing. I especially want to thank ****_Eraman_****, who has reviewed every chapter of this story, and has also helped me with many parts of it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

_Jeff and I made it to Athens safely, and although it's not the same, it is our home now. We found a nice house on the outskirts of the city, and were lucky enough to find that we had some of the kindest and most accepting neighbours we could have ever hoped for; one of them even went so far as to find a priest to marry us._

_So, that's what we did. Within a week of being in Athens, Jeff and I were married in front of our new friends. We've met some wonderful people, but they're never going to replace Wes, David, Sebastian or Hunter._

_I still miss them, and even four years later, I think about them everyday. I asked Jeff once whether he felt the same, and he laughed and told me that one time he'd woken up in the middle of the night thinking that he'd heard Sebastian's voice somewhere near him, but he assumed that it was just a vivid dream. I have dreams like that too, sometimes, I'll dream about the day we left, and in my dreams, Jeff and I turn around and hurry back towards Wes' place, but we never make it there before I wake up, and I always wonder whether that means something._

_I shouldn't dwell on the past, I tell myself that all the time, but I often find that I start trying to picture what our friends are doing at that current point in time. Is Hunter with Sebastian? Or is he on a military exercise? Has Sebastian gone into politics yet? Did Wes, David and The Warblers ever go through with any plans to remove the Emperor?_

_That's the one that piques my curiosity the most, because somebody did do something to the Emperor in the end. Jeff and I heard from our neighbours that the Emperor had been driven from Rome, and had then committed suicide while in exile, in preference to being killed by his enemies._

_We also heard that my father had been killed in the downfall of the Emperor. I wasn't entirely sure how to take the news; on one hand, I was relieved that he could no longer haunt me and Jeff, but on the other hand, I felt disrespectful if I didn't feel some sadness at his passing, for he was my father after all. In the end, I just curled myself up in Jeff's arms, and let his presence comfort and reassure me._

_I don't know what happened to my mother, and sometimes, when I think of her, I wonder whether she thinks about me as well. I doubt she does. I doubt she even cared much when I ran away all those years ago, but I do wonder what she said about me when she found out I was gone._

_I wonder what everybody said once Jeff and I were gone._

_But then I think of the present, and I don't linger in the past anymore. _

_Both Jeff and I found jobs in the city. I've fulfilled my dream of becoming a poet; an acquaintance of ours introduced me to some members of the upper circle of society. I read one of my pieces at a dinner party that was being hosted, and, from then on, I've been receiving request after request for new works, and also invitations to more readings._

_Jeff, originally rather surprisingly, became a teacher. I knew that he had an aptitude for learning, and an insatiable hunger to discover something new everyday, but it turned out that he had a talent for languages as well; within a week he'd mastered a basic understanding of Greek, and within a few months, was almost as fluent as me. _

_He loves his job, it's evident with the amount of passion and effort he puts into his lessons. The local children love him too, and we can barely walk down our street before someone calls out to him. It makes me proud to see the success of Jeff's teaching, and it makes me even more proud to know that I was the one that first taught Jeff all those years ago._

_We've also achieved something that we never thought would ever happen for the two of us. A few months ago, the woman who lived next to us sadly died in childbirth whilst giving birth to twins, and her husband practically abandoned the babies as soon as they were born. Jeff and I woke up the next morning to find them on our doorstep, and we couldn't just leave them there, so we took them in and claimed them for our own, since nobody else appeared to want them._

_We named them Wesley and Sebastian. One of my biggest wishes is that one day they might meet their namesakes, but all I can do is pray that might come true._

_I'm still waiting for that knock on the door. The knock on the door which I can answer and see those familiar faces looking back at me._

_"Nick!" I'm suddenly jolted back into the present by the sound of Jeff's voice. He sounds strangely urgent._

_And that's when I hear it._

_Three short knocks and two longer ones._

_Warblers._

_Jeff is looking at me with wide eyes. We've both dreamt of this moment, and now we're frozen in place, too shocked to even move._

_Three short knocks and two longer ones._

_In seconds, I've shaken myself from this stupor I've fallen into, and I'm practically forcing Sebastian into Jeff's arms as I run towards the door. I pause in front of it for a second to collect myself. I consider the possibility that it's just a neighbour using a similar amount of knocks, but surely that would be too great a coincidence?_

_I open the door, but ready myself for disappointment; I've been disappointed for the last four years, thinking that it might be them every time I open the door._

_But I'm not disappointed. There, in front of me, stand both Hunter and Sebastian, looking barely a day older than they did four years ago. They've got their arms around each other, the same way that they had when Jeff and I waved goodbye at the Porta Capena._

_I don't know who moves first, but within seconds, I'm being almost smothered in a hug from Sebastian. And then Hunter's clapping me on the back and we're all laughing, and I almost lose myself to the sheer emotion I'm feeling._

_"Nicky, is it them?" There's a hopeful inflection in Jeff's voice as it floats out to the doorway._

_"Yeah, Jeffy, it's them!" I call back, and there's an excited cry from the blonde, as he rushes out of the room to meet our friends at the door as well._

_He's still carrying the twins, Wesley is asleep on his shoulder, while Sebastian is squirming in his other arm, desperate to be given some attention. Both Sebastian and Hunter's mouths drop open when they see the children. Hunter recovers first and grins at me and Jeff, while Sebastian just flounders for a few more moments._

_"How? When? I…" he attempts to actually say something coherent, but it fails, and the rest of us can't help but laugh._

_It's back to feeling the same way it did four years ago._

_"They're adopted," I explain, "This is Wesley, and this is Sebastian." _

_Sebastian grins as he nudges Hunter._

_"See, they named one of their children after me," he says proudly._

_Hunter just grins back and congratulates me and Jeff._

_"Can I hold one, please?" Sebastian asks suddenly, holding out his arms. Jeff smiles and hands over little Sebastian to his namesake._

_Sebastian, it appears, turns into a pile of sappy mush when handed a baby, and within seconds he turns from being sarcastic to cooing continuously every time the child in his arms so much as blinks._

_"You've got to come in," I say quickly, realising that I should have invited them in immediately, but my hosting abilities have never quite been up to scratch; not that Jeff and I host many dinner parties. _

_The other two accept the invitation, and step across the threshold into our home. It's not exactly up to the standards they're used to in Rome, but it's enough for us, and we're happy._

_"So," I say once everybody is seated, "I guess I should ask what we've missed over the last few years."_

_Sebastian practically bounces in his seat when I speak and it's evident that he's got something to share._

_"Hunter and I got married," he blurts out excitedly, "The Emperor married some slave boy a year or so ago, and so my father decided to allow us to copy him."_

_Jeff and I congratulate them, and Jeff slips his arm around my waist. I grasp his hand and run my fingers over his own wedding ring, and he does the same to mine as well._

_"I guess you two got married almost as soon as you arrived here," Hunter grins._

_"Well, a weeks after, maybe," I grin back, "Some of the neighbours helped us find a priest to perform the ceremony."_

_"You've got nice neighbours, huh?" Sebastian asks._

_Jeff nods._

_"They're wonderful," he says, "And accepting too, which is always a bonus."_

_Hunter and Sebastian murmur their agreement._

_"What about Wes?" I suddenly say, and the room falls silent suddenly. Hunter and Sebastian exchange looks with each other, before Hunter speaks._

_"If we're honest, we don't know what happened to him. The Warblers eventually stopped a few months after you left, since it became far too dangerous for us to meet each other in secret. Wes, his father and David laid low for the next year or so, and only Sebastian and I were able to visit them occasionally."_

_"Until about a year ago," Sebastian takes over, "We went to their hiding place, only to find it deserted. There was no trace they'd ever been there; they'd even taken the patches off the furniture. If we hadn't known better, we could have assumed that no one had been near the place in years."_

_"We did find one thing though," Hunter speaks quietly, as though telling of a great mystery, "We found the broken gavel in the middle of the table we used for meeting. It was just sitting there. There was no note or message, just the gavel."_

_I feel Jeff shiver next to me. I agree, it is like a mildly creepy ghost story._

_"Did you hear anything else after that?" I ask, wondering if there is a conclusion to this tale._

_But Hunter shakes his head._

_"We assume they must have left the city," he says, "Since there's no record of their arrest."_

_A silence falls over us. It's almost like a silence of remembrance._

_And then, there's a faint scuffing noise from the front door, and it startles all of us._

_"What was that?" Jeff looks at me in a slight panic._

_I don't respond; I have no answer for him. So I get up and walk out of the room to find out what the noise was. The hallway looks much the same as it did when we left it earlier, save for a folded piece of parchment on the floor. Someone must have slid it underneath the door._

_I pick up the parchment and carry it back to where everyone else is sitting._

_"It's a letter," I say in bewilderment._

_"Open it then," Sebastian says eagerly, leaning forward in anticipation._

_I carefully unfold the parchment to reveal the neat rows of handwriting; it's oddly familiar, but I can't place it._

_"Dear Warblers," I read, my eyes widening and tears threatening to escape when I realise what is written. The others are wearing similar expressions._

_"Wes…" Sebastian manages to choke out, and I suddenly know where I've seen the handwriting before; it's Wes' handwriting._

_Jeff pulls me into his lap so that he can wrap his arms around me as I read, while also awkwardly holding Wesley in one arm as the baby sleeps peacefully._

_"Dear Warblers," I begin again, "I know this is unexpected, but I also know that you've been waiting for it for far too long now. I'm sorry for just abandoning you like that, but there was too much danger in Rome, and we needed to get away from it. I won't tell you where we went, and I can't tell you where we are headed next. I bring sad news, my father died earlier this year from ill health; I'd suspected he was ill for a while, but he'd never have consented to giving up our cause in favour of relaxing."_

_I pause for a moment, as we all bow our heads in a sign of respect to the passing of Wes' father. He'd been the nearest I'd ever had to a father figure in my life, and I'd often wished I could have disowned my own father in favour of Wes'. _

_"I know you have all heard news of the death of Nick's father last year," I continue to read Wes' letter, "And I should admit to having a major hand in his death. We met him on the road outside of Rome; he was alone, and he was actually running away from the revolts that were occurring inside of the city. He begged us to help him save himself. Sometimes I feel that I am a coward for leaving the city behind when the danger of the city became too great, but I have never thought of anybody more cowardly than that man; he ran away rather than face the mess of the political system that he'd made, and he was now begging those he had hurt for help. I'm not particularly proud of what I did, but I do not feel very guilty about it either. I killed your father, Nick, I let my anger get the better of me, and I just thought of the way that he always treated you and Jeff."_

_This time nobody bows their head in respect. The death of my father means that he can no longer hurt us, and we deem him unfit for respect, especially since he had denied any respect to any other person during his life._

_"I wish you every success in life," I begin the conclusion of the letter, "Sebastian and Hunter, when you return to Rome, keep an eye over the old city for me, won't you? I'll always miss her. Nick and Jeff, and I suppose I should add Wesley and Sebastian on the end here as well, I'm glad you've found happiness together at last. I admit to being rather excited when I found that you'd named one of the twins after me, and I imagine that Sebastian reacted in a similar way. Maybe one day we'll all meet again somewhere, but until then, remember me. Wes."_

_I turn the paper over in my hands as though I am desperately searching for more evidence that my friend is alive and well, but all I find is David's signature, scrawled in one corner as well._

_"He never talks about himself," Hunter speaks up suddenly, "He writes almost as if he's dead, yet here is a letter signed by him."_

_"That's Wes for you," Sebastian points out, "He's always been an enigma."_

_Suddenly, something occurs to me, if the letter has just been delivered, then Wes must be in the area. I jump up and run for the front door. I hear Jeff calling for me to wait, but I can't, not if there's a possibility to see Wes again._

_I run out into the road calling Wes' name, and receive a few strange looks from the other people who are passing by, but it doesn't bother me. Behind me, Jeff, Hunter and Sebastian gather on the doorstep, watching me run wildly down the street._

_I stop at some point to ask a passer-by if they might have seen Wes. Even when I give a description, however, they shake their head and continue on their way. It's the same with every person I ask. Even the street vendors, who I know would have been in the same place in the street earlier, and therefore should have been able to see anybody delivering anything to our door, deny having seen him._

_It's like Sebastian says, Wes is an enigma; it's as though he's invisible to others._

_At one point, I think I see him at the end of the street, on the corner where the road turns into one that leads right to the heart of Athens. I call his name and run to the corner, but by the time I reach it, whoever I saw there is gone._

_I give up eventually, and return home. The others are still standing in the doorway. Jeff sees my dejected expression and pulls me into a tight hug, kissing my forehead gently._

_"I don't think we're ever going to see him again," he sighs, "I think that this is how Wes wanted it; he wanted everything to end like this."_

_"He wanted us to be sad?" I ask in confusion._

_"No," Jeff shakes his head, "No, he wants us to be happy, because even though he's not here, we're all together again and we've got our whole lives ahead of us still." I smile up at Jeff because I know he's right; he's always right._

_That's when I hear Wes' voice in my head._

_"I'll always be_ _with you, little Nicky, even if it's not physically, I'll be there watching over you and Jeff."_

_And I just know that everything is going to be okay, because even if we do never see Wes again, it doesn't mean that he isn't keeping an eye on us._

**_FIN_**

* * *

**A/N: Wow...it's over...though I do feel a sense of achievement now. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

**Please don't forget to check out my new story, which is called ****_Second Star to the Right_**** and is, once again, a Niff centric story.**

**Historical Points:**

**1. Nero was eventually driven to exile in 68AD and committed suicide on 9 June, instead of being captured and killed by his enemies. His exile was the result of a number of rebellions, in particular, one by the Praetorian Prefect, Nymphidius Sabinus; which, with a bit of creative licence, we can assume Hunter had a hand in it!**

**2. Nero did also actually get married to a male slave, in fact, he got married to two or three male slaves, despite also marrying three women as well, so it was clearly feasible to two men to be married in Ancient Rome, and therefore, this is why Hunter and Sebastian are allowed to marry. In Ancient Greece, however, it was slightly less accepted for two men to get married, but, you know what, Nick and Jeff have nice neighbours, so yeah, they're married too!**

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought! Or to ask a question about the story or the history behind it!**


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